


Hunters and gatherers.

by Dregger



Category: Original Work
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-28
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-14 13:28:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 24,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29046900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dregger/pseuds/Dregger
Summary: Post apocalyptic adventure and war between different factions.





	Hunters and gatherers.

(Post-apocalyptic adventure, violence, anthros etc.)

No one really remembers when the world ended.  
Maybe because it never truly did...

Daylight meant usually that it was too dangerous to move out in the open. It was different in the cities and that might be why everyone always holed up in there. Raiders and scavengers were usually engaged in perpetual conflict. Scavengers were scavenging and raiders wanted the stuff they had scavenged.  
The world had turned into a jungle to put it simple. Man was fighting another and trying to survive like it always had. When the law and order was no longer taken for granted and no one was pulling the strings of the society, everyone wen't berserk.  
No one hardly can remember how it happened but it was sudden.  
About 20-years ago the scientists had created an animal/human hybrids for whatever reason. At first it had been just an experiment, despite many protesting it to be unnatural and without moral.  
Then these "anthros" began to demand rights, human rights.  
Everything had gone to shit soon after. Some people talk about bombs, some about famine and epidemic, some blame anthros for everything but it doesn't really matter. The civilized and modern world was no more. The rich had their walled cities beyond the wastelands where the poor just tried to survive everyday. Ammo was valued almost as much as food and finding those two was tricky, let alone keeping it to yourself.  
That is where your story begins...

Chapter 1.

Daylight meant usually that it was too dangerous to move out in the open. It was different in the cities and that might be why everyone always holed up in there. Raiders and scavengers were usually engaged in perpetual conflict in the cities. Scavengers were scavenging and raiders wanted the stuff they had scavenged.  
Just last week you had passed through a small town and barely made it out with your lives. There were four of you, long time friends and compatriots and on the run since your settlement was attacked by raiders. No one would take you in because you could be anyone, even a raider in disguise. So you had to keep moving and survive with the little you had.  
The raiders from the previous confrontation had some food and ammo with them and the said loot was running low fast.  
You were burning daylight and without shelter the hordes would surely find you. You ran without an end in sight, nothing but running towards the unknown across the endless wasteland. Running kept you alive and stopping meant death.  
You'd stop only for the night to fend off the hordes. Night was usually without rest and someone always staying awake.  
You usually holed up in abandoned buildings and hoped they weren't already taken by raiders or sleeping hordes. Such life in constant transit was exhausting and dangerous but you had to choose between fight and killing or changing place often.  
Tonight you all would have to make the choice.  
White was oldish and intimidating man, just like his twin in the show called Breaking Bad. He was often called White due the similarity and it kinda stuck with him. He was carrying an old hunting rifle in the caliber of 308 Winchester. He had always been talented with the said toy.  
Abraham was originally german. He was left in American soil during the Fall. That's what they called it today: the fall. The short but scary phase when everything went to hell. He spoke almost flawless english still even when he was originally an exhange student. He was armed with an AK-47: an expensive and very sought tool. Many would take enormous risks to obtain it even at the face of almost certain death. Jack was a nobody who tagged along when you fled the camp during the raider attack. He was skillfull with his pistol and a machete but he really never spoke of himself.  
And last but not least is you.  
You are Anonymous.  
There really is nothing else to tell about any of you.  
White was eyeing an old establisment in the distance. Under the grey and hopeless sky could be seen rusting and rotting industrial plant. It was the only thing to be seen among the endless plains that was littered with bones and other worthless junk like old car wrecks. They occasionally provided some protection against rain and other similar hazards but other than that, White knew they were good vantage points. White lowered his binoculars and pondered in silence.  
"I guess we are crashing the cough tonight", Abe said. He checked his AK and nearly drooled for a chance to use it. Bullets were valuable however and using them rampantly and without care easily came back at you. You couldn't just go to a store anymore and get what you wanted: every day to be alive was earned.  
"We have to take the risk", White confessed. It had been a while you had an encounter with the raiders, those vultures of the world.  
"Same as usual?" you confirm.  
"Same as usual", White admits. "We need shelter from the hordes." He was usually at the better end with his rifle and because of him you had often had the upper hand. That place however was a fortress and his support would be minimal. You three would go in and butcher anyone and anything in your path.  
Indeed, scavengers were known to avoid conflict but when cornered, they would be worse than any raider. Raiders would never let you stay voluntarily and no sane person ever would want to see them alive within the hearing distance. Raiders were scum and best scum was a dead scum.  
"I will support you to the best of my ability", White promises with a warning tone.  
"Don't worry grandpa", you smirk and you could swear that one of those days he would blow your head off by "accident".  
Things were going to be risky. If the raiders knew they were being attacked, they would surely lock the place up and wait the hordes to do the job. It was already a miracle they had not done so for the night.  
You surround the place with the help of radios. White was measuring the place from the distance and giving you instructions of troop positions and when and where it was best to approach the place. Aften a painstaking and careful trek across the desert you finally reach your destination.  
'I never thought I'd find such a rusted husk so comforting'  
You take your weapon of choice from your holster: a 12-gauge sawn off. Reliable, simple and powerful. What else did you need? Of course you had a variety of blades and knives hidden within your clothing.  
After sharing a brotherly look with your comrades you begin your mission. Jack was the first to enter the lions' den because with his machete he could claim a life of two before he would have to resort to his pistol. He had always been your element of surprize. The gunshot from the said pistol had always been your sign.  
The ripping pop of an old Glock-17 signaled you: the heavy artillery to join the fun. So you charge in through the double doors and fire away. Abe aimed down the sights and soon the thunderous uproar filled the industrial hall. Shot after shot ended with a short scream and everything had turned into a madness. The lighting was dim and most of it came from the firesplaces that were made in metal barrels. You fired in the darkness and the blanketing buckshots either made the sparks fly, or tore through the entrails of a screaming raider.  
"The scavengers!"  
"Alaaaarm!"  
"The fucking scavengeeeers!"  
The raiders screamed like animals. Even those who werent hurt.  
"Go forward! Flush the vermin from their holes!" Abe shouts and you proceed onwards with Jack. You both were useless from long distances due your weapons. You were the men of direct intervention, you would confront the enemy within distance of great risk but also of high rewards. You were both familiar with close quarter combat.  
As you run across the scaffold Abraham is dropping a raider after another from the ground level. Someone ran at you screaming and waving a firemans axe. You fire a shell from your sawn off and his midsection is torn to pieces. You jump over his bloodied corpse and proceed. You never really knew how your group always managed so well. It could be due to the fact that scavengers were always training and honing their skills, while raiders relied on their numbers and cruelty alone. Raiders were pretty much the niggers of the wastelands as some guy back in the camp had put it, and they came from all walks of life just as scavengers did. There was no room for moral highground and nowadays people were put in two categories: the ones breathing and the dead ones.  
Still... the madness that always ensued when you fought, you never really recalled any of it but somehow you always pulled it off. Perhaps by instinct.  
Perhaps by skill.  
It didn't matter.  
You always hoped you had plucked your ears before the gunfight but then you would also lose an important sense that revealed your enemies positions. It was a difficult choice, to become wulnerable or expose yourself to a hearing loss.  
The swearing and deafening gunshots echoed through the compound. The firefight was over eventually but you spent a long time searching for survivors who had decided to flee or hide. It turned out no one was hiding. Everyone was just dead; about 14 of them with a quick calculation. The element of surprize was on your side.  
White entered the compound when he noted the gunshots had gone silent. He came in with his rifle and made a quick sweep with his eyes. That usually spoke for the success of the attack since he had not mentioned any runaways. And that close to the twilight any runaway would quickly be overrun by hordes. Realizing the track of time you quickly begin to drag the bodies outside from the compound. Fresh meat would keep the hordes busy and likely they wouldn't try and bother to break in.  
The place was soon cleaned, casting off spatters of blood that was common after such fight. The loot was quite downputting: just some beef jerky, couple of can of beans, some vacuum packed food and water and no ammo. Abraham had used seven of his bullets and it made him grumpy. You had used six of your shells and you found only used up ones within the compound. You hoped you would find a way reload them but so far that had been just a dream.  
"Hey! Guys", Jack hailed. It was not one of the warning tone but just to get your attention. You arrive to him and notice he had found stairs. They descended below the compound.  
"We may be in luck", Jack said with a grin.  
"If there is someone down there, they know about us and they are ready", White said with the same serious mug as Walther White would say in his show. You had always liked him for that. He was old but still at his full strenght and popped the head of a raider any day with his rifle.  
"Pistols and shotguns are best in tight spots. Jack, Anon, you're up."  
You proceed and reach the bottom floor without incident or any signs of people. You hail the others that path is clear. You were in a underground warehouse of sorts.  
Or more like a slaughterhouse...  
"They had a larder? Holy shit, we are in luck afterall", Jack cheers.  
"I wouldn't feel too victorious just yet, son. Take a better look", White grunts.  
There were furs placed on the tables. The carcasses were hanging by chains and hooks, several of them were already cut up. There were knives and other tools on the walls and tables.  
"Where do you think they found these animals?" Jack continues.  
"Your eyes aren't working, Jack. Or you simply don't know how to use them. They're not animals", White shouts at him.  
Jack's eyes pick up a severed arm that was placed on the table. It was a human hand shaped paw.  
"Oh... right."  
Your group tenses up when someone sneezes. Abe prepares his assault rifle and aims at the source of the sound. It came from under a cloth that was placed on something. A man sized box or something. Abe looks at you confirming that you have his back. He pulls the cover revealing a cage.  
"Well... this is just terrific", Jack whispers and you lock eyes for a short moment.  
Within the cage you see a cat anthro. She had a dark fur with some white spots in it. She had curled herself against the opposite wall and she was eyeing you with horror. She was wearing a sleeveless top and ragged jeans. It had been a while you had seen jeans, that was the luxury of the old world. Her eyes and muzzle were wet with tears and her emerald eyes had pretty much given up hope.  
"Look for a key", White commands you with the tone that you all were familiar with. It didn't leave any room for doubts. White kneels down on the other side of the cage and the poor girl tries get further away from him.  
"Don't worry, we are not here to hurt you", White explains gently. "We are scavengers and sworn enemies of the raiders."  
She sobs and tries to control her breathing. You cant really blame her since the typical scavenger outfit was often seen as intimidating (that and apparently she was on her way to the table until you came along). It was a combination of old riot gear, hood and clothing to protect against the cold. Scavengers in general favored lightweight and mobile outfit due to their lifestyle.  
"Look, the ones who did this are dead. You're safe now. Do you have a name?"  
It took a moment till she managed to open her mouth. She measures her resquers from behind bars and builds up her confidence.  
"It's Ayren", she says.  
"It's a beautiful name", White admits and introduces you to her while you go through the heaps of meat and junk in search for the key. He goes through you name by name.  
"You killed them?" she sobs meekly.  
"They won't hurt anyone anymore. Do you have a place to go?"  
"My camp was overrun a while ago. I fled with other survivors but we got separated during the other attack soon after. I ended up here about a week ago. The others were with me..."  
"It's okay. There's nothing you could have done."  
"They were cut up in front of me", she cries and covers her muzzle.  
You can't but feel sorry for her. You all look at her with compassion and imagining the recent past she's had, alone and helpless, you lose even the little sympathy you had for the raiders. There was no key so Jack used a crowbar instead. It worked almost as good as any key and when the cage was open, no one rushed her to come out. Slowly she got up and took careful steps. Her digitigraded legs were slim and paws were big and bare. White instructed her not to look at the tables or skinning racks and she gladly took the hint. She was walked to the stairs with your help and back ground floor where she glanced around her nervously.  
"You okay?" White asked with his fatherly additude. Ayren was tall but thin, yet still she had good shapes of a female. You had encountered anthros before, back in the camp with other scavengers. You never knew his name but he was a hyena and he would often maintain guns and just about anything that needed maintaining. He was a total prick and one of the many people you didn't miss. He would always charge you way too much and even his customer service was straight up shitty.  
This Ayren however was a complete opposite. She was adorable and plain cute.

The four of you sit on the floor and maintain a small campfire as you make plans for the future. You clean your guns and check them as you do always when you can. They were your life insurance so it was best to treat them as such. Ayren had gone somewhere to sleep. After her breakdown she had requested a moment alone which you didn't see any reason to decline. From the outside you can hear harrowing noises as the hordes feast on dead raiders. You do your best to ignore the ripping sounds and occasional barks and other fiendish ruckus. The meat hopefully kept them outside long enough for the sun to rise up.  
"We need to figure out what we do next", White informs.  
"I guess leaving her here is out of the question. That's what this is all about, isn't it?" Jack noted.  
"Yes. She wouldn't survive on her own", White says and gazes into the fire.  
"Sure she can walk and run. We could drop her off in the next camp we come across?" you suggest.  
"That's not the point. No one knows when we may see another friendly establisment. It could take even weeks and anthros arent like  
humans."  
"Like us how?" you ask.  
"Humans are one of the best long distance runners there is. There aren't many animals who can top us at that."  
"Animals now, huh? You were always so correct and civil", Jack smirks.  
"I was part of the program, it's not a goddamn secret anymore! I helped to create them. Everyone is asking themselves why did we  
ever did that but we weren't told why. We were told to do as they said. Anthros have animal genes as well as human's, hence the choice  
of word animal."  
"Yeah, I think we get it. You said something about running?"  
"She can't keep at the same pace with us if I'm right. We travel about 50 kilometers a day if we aren't slacking. That is when you are  
rested and well fed but usually about 30. That's a long way to traverse on foot. We also need to double up our water and food."  
"There is no way were can keep up the normal pace if we are conserving our rations."  
That would mean you would have to take even greater risks in the near future. You'd have to hunt dangerous game and leave no stone unturned.  
"I know what you're thinking", feminine voice echoes from the darkness. Ayren's eyes glow in the lights' radius making her look like something intimidating waiting and stalking.  
"I guess I didn't thank you for saving my butt. Thank you. As for everything else: I can carry my own weight. I will also do what I can when it comes to fighting, even if it might not be much. If it was just the four of you taking this place out by yourselves, I'm pretty sure you're far better at it than I am."  
White moves his rifle aside and makes her some space by the fire. With hesitation she sits between you and White. She's feeling her hands and you notice she is shaking.  
"Hey, it's okay", White consoles her again. You've never really seen White being so compassionate about anything.  
"You know our way of life?" White asked her.  
"Yeah. You're scavengers. You look for supplies and sell them forward at your camp. Where is your camp?"  
"Nowhere. It's gone. We've been on the run for almost a year now."  
"I'm sorry. I know how it's like to lose your home", Ayren admitted with sad tone.  
"There were scavengers in my establisment as well. They spent weeks at the wasteland at a time and hauled their loot back all the  
way on foot."  
"They are called runners. They work for a society, group and family. We are just scavengers now", you explain and she looks at you with surprize. Maybe it had been a while since she had actual human interaction or conversation in general.  
"It's tough life out there. Coming with us entails great risks", Abraham explains.  
"I'm pretty sure she knows all the details."  
"I won't slow you down", she promises nervously.  
"We will take you with us. We will figure this out", White promises with a smile.  
Scavengers weren't just survivalist specialists of the new world. They were professional athletes who lived in one of the most hostile environments always defying danger. Ayren didn't seem like someone who would be ready to face it all but the looks were deceiving. Part of you wanted to leave her there and let her figure out things on her own but you doubted you could live with yourself if you did that.  
"You need an outfit", you point out.  
"What's wrong with my clothes?"  
"They won't do."  
Everyone agreed. You knew how the wastelands were. Its hazards were many and lacking in anything even if minor usually ended sadly.  
"Anon, go with her and try to find something for her", White tells you almost like he was in charge. Usually he was but arguably he also was suited for this better than anyone else.  
"Why me?"  
"Because you're good at sewing and your sense of style is unmatched", White explains and laughter from Jack and Abraham thunders immediatelly.  
"Let's go raid some raiders. I think I left some over here."  
Ayren gets up and follows you in the darkness.

For about and hour you go through torn up raiders and strip them from their clothing. Ayren is holding a torch, not for herself but for you. You never really looked at the people you kill. Now you saw human faces, bloodied bodies and signs of past battles upon them. There was this one mohawk guy who had scarred face, not by combat but his own hand. Like those Thenns in Game of Thrones who wanted to look more intimidating by mutilating their mugs. Too bad in real life you'd risk infection or severing a nerve and paralyzing your face completely. He would never tell anyone if he pulled it off like it was intended. He had an old ringmail on him and despite a couple of bulletholes it surely provided good protection againsts teeth, claws, knives and maybe even small shrapnel. Ayren held her mouth as you bereaved the man of his belongings.  
"Anon, I think we don't need him. Lets find someone else."  
"Are you kidding me? This is a jackpot! We can sew it into your jacket. Try to find some clothing, we need to leave at sunrise and it's almost midnight."  
She nods and goes her way. You raise the ringmail in front of you and notice it's completely usable. Lightweight, mobile and easy to maintain. It's bloody but that was easily taken care of. Mohawk guy was wearing a pair of combat boots, intact but yours were better and to your current knowledge anthros didn't use any. With such legs it was unlikely that Ayren could even wear human shoes. His throusers were stained and looked like he had shat his pants rather than pulling them down to do it like normal people.  
You had pretty much fixed the ringmail when Ayren came back. He was holding a bundle of clothing. She smiled at you when she saw you and torchlight danced on her face. You don't know the reason for her smile but considering the past hours she had a lot of reason for it.  
"Let me see", you say and take her loot. First you raise the ringmail in front of her and measure it on her. You place it on her torso and plan for the uncoming masteriece. She visibly finds your touch foreign but keeps her cool.  
"Perfect. Hold the torch please. I need to see", you ask as you spread the metallic shirt on the workbench.  
She follows your instuctions and you are completely oblivious to the fact that she is looking at you the whole time instead of her future gear.  
You sew the protective metal within the old leather jacket like it was nothing. You sew holes shut and even managed to find some oils to make it waterproof and protect the leather. When you knew how to treat leather, it was almost eternal. You knew which oils were good and which were not. Finding the right thing was a result of trial and error.  
"You make it look so easy. You've done this before?" Ayren compliments you.  
Back in the camp before you became an actual scavenger, you helped the aforementioned hyena. He never allowed you to touch the guns but you would fix everything else he saw too trivial for his skill. Scavengers were favored targets because they always had something of value on them, whole camps were practically treasure doves packed with loot. Just a couple of years after when you had left the said hyena with your middle finger pointed at the sky, your camp was overrun. You had teamed up with the other survivors and the life of endless transit had begun. You were the handyman of the group and White was the brain.  
"I've had practice", you say. It was nothing really but you knew such skills were important and people with such skills were always wanted in groups. Doctors and mechanics were almost as wanted and the scavengers brought in medicine and mechanical parts.  
"You mind me prying...", Ayren begins.  
You look at her and her emerald eyes look back at you.  
"I overheard White saying something about a program?"  
"We only know as much as he does. He was part of the program called Adam. In a nutshell it was about making people like you. No one  
still knows why, they just followed orders."  
"Do you know what was his deal in the program?"  
"He's a biologist doctor or something. He has so many degrees I can't even spell them all, let alone remember. He told us he was  
working on the genetics. It was his job to figure out what genetic... combinations worked and didn't work. He was building anthros as  
I see it."  
Ayren diverted her eyes and bit her lip.  
"Sorry, did I say something?"  
"No... I was just hoping I would learn the truth. I'm the third generation and I thought I would know that caused The Fall."  
"Generations? You mean...?"  
"The first generation was the one that was made in a lab", she scoffs. "The later generations were born in the natural way. They  
said... they said that..."  
"They said later generations would die off or they would never come to happen", White said leaning on the door frame. You all look at  
him appalled.  
"I picked the genetic sequences from the ones that were unfit. There were countless combinations and thanks to the computers we didn't  
have to go through them all and see how they worked de facto. We managed to create healthy anthros but we never really considered them  
fertile. It turned out we were wrong. We had created a new specie that was able to reproduce and live normal. Before we even realized  
we had become gods. We had created life. Our children, the anthros", White finishes clenching his teeth.  
"How about The Fall?" Ayren asked.  
"We know only that the project Adam was established to prevent it in some way. We don't know if it worked or not."  
You both can only stare at him.  
"That's all I can tell you. I'm sorry", White frowns and leaves you two alone.  
"That's more than he usually shares", you confess and return to work.  
"I think he feels responsible for it. I still trust that he is honest. There really is nothing else he knows if he says so."  
"He's acting like a father towards me", Ayren whispers.  
You can't really blame him. Since you still had work to do, you deside to carry on the topic about family.  
"Speaking of father...?"  
"Dead. The second generation was treated under a surveillance. I was taken from them when I was very young..."  
"I heard about it. Treated like a labrat from birth. I can understand if White feels responsible for all the bad that has transpired  
or is yet to come."  
"That's reassuring. Only thing that keeps me going is the dream of being finally safe", Ayren scoffs at your grim future expectations. Being safe... now that was an idea that never really occurred to you. You're a scavenger, surviving by any means necessary and cutting down anyone who would choose to be a threat. You outrunned anyone and would rest only for a short time. Scavengers were the pinnacle of human evolution.  
You raise the new jacket in front of you. The biker leathers and ringmail embedded within together makes it heavy but lighter than most protective gear available.  
"Nowhere is safe", you crush her dream.  
You gesture her to try our her new outfit and it turned out to be a good size.  
"It looks good on you", you compliment. She measured her jacket but her ears were droopy and she didn't look too happy in general. Guess that jacket pretty much confirmed your claims.  
"Thanks... I guess."  
"It still needs something more", you conclude. He jeans were pretty much just torn up jeans. She needed some more protection for the leg section.  
"Let's work with your legs next", you smile and she got tense. Guess you didn't put it the way you should have.

Chapter 2.  
-Run Boy Run.

In dim sunlight that penetrated the dark clouds, you saw the raiders left for the hordes were pretty much decimated. There were just some bones scattered here and there. The clothing was torn and rendered useless and any recognizable body parts were pretty much absent.  
"This must have been the largest horde I have ever seen", White says leaning on his rifle.  
"Or the hungriest", you suggest in awe at the lack of bloody mess. How does one dispose a dozen of grown up men overnight?  
"We need to get our distance up to ten miles today. Their nest must be nearby somewhere. We were lucky to find this compound. In the  
old days factories and such were made to keep people out. Remember this next time. Had we not come across this place that would be  
us", White nods at the controversial human remains.  
"Where's the girl by the way?"  
"She must be admiring her new clothes. I even surprized myself with my skills", you laugh.  
"Told you. Your sense of style is unmatched", White says with a smile.  
"For a straight guy", Abraham snickers.  
As you spoke someone steps out from the solitude and safety of the compound. Everyone gazes at her with awe. She had her biker jacket and her jeans were covered with patches of tanned leather. Her thighs and heels were covered with the same material: brown clothing that was reinforced with leather and some scraps of metal. The final touch was achieved with sand goggles which were resting upon her forehead. She was grabbing her hands behind her back and she was scraping the ground in front of her with her paw. She was blushing, even though her fur couldn't change color.  
"Well, I think it's safe to say you're a washed up member now", White says with a smile.  
"Do you... do you have any weapons for me?"  
You all think about it for a while. What would she utilize in conventional manner? She didn't have much experience with firearms and the said kind of person easily would hurt herself or someone else non-raider. In the end she received a couple of old knives. She didn't seem disappointed but not overjoyed either. The compound had availed some pistol and shotgun rounds but not any new guns or weapons, no other than some old blades. The "larder" had some edged tools but only an idiot would take them in a fight. They were crude and simple makeshift tools for butchering and skinning, while being cabable of producing damage, they wouldn't suffice in an actual combat.  
Ayren had received some combat training back in her camp. Her history with guns however, the times she had fired a gun was to be counted with two hand's fingers.  
"Ayren, you're the second behind. I got the Rem so I'm the last one coming and at the same time I can keep an eye on your stamina."  
Ayren clearly was not pleased when she realized she'd be pampered and treated as the weakest of the group. Denying the facts however would be stupid. The title scavenger was not handed easily to anyone.  
"They didn't have vehicles or anything when they captured you?" Jack asks.  
"I don't remember frankly. My memories are hazy at best but I think I'd remember if they had them."  
"Anon, you take point", White commands and with a nod you pick the direction. Soon you all stride onwards and leave the compound behind. The area used to be a coast but now the shoreline had retreated several miles. You were bound to find more human settlements soon, friendly or not.

Running was familiar to you. The feeling of safety, the rush of adrenaline and a sense of freedom. It was always more difficult to hit a moving target than a stationary one. You hated running once. Once you were just a normal guy with a normal and boring life but ever since you got good at it, you loved to run. The flow of testosterone and endorphins got you hooked, especially when a gunfight was involved. No matter how much people frowned upon violence, it always had fascinated a man. Hunting, conquering, fighting... it is in our blood. Man has always waged war against a man.  
The terrain began to remind you of a highway, collapsed one but a highway it clearly was once. You had been running for about 40 minutes till White signaled a break through a radio. In the shelter of the collapsed highway you sit down and eat. You handed Ayren some beef jerky which she accepted reluctantly but with gratitude. You regained your normal breathing pace quickly but Ayren was visibly exhausted. Her cardiovascular system was above average human but not scavenger tier.  
You still remember the times you weren't even close to the fitness level you are now. You just outrunned a goddamn snep!  
"Thank you", Ayren breathes.  
"You think you can keep at the same pace?" White asks with his trademarked fatherly additude.  
"Don't slow down for me", Ayren retorts.  
"Being a scavenger is the most harsh and dangerous way of life. We are tough because we have to be. The other human settlements  
wouldn't survive without us."  
"I'm partially an animal", Ayren scoffs and everyone went stiff.  
"You helped to make us in those labs so what can you tell about us? Can I be as good as you?"  
White almost turned pale.  
"We never got to study your bodies so closely. What ever comes up in terms of strenghts and weaknesses, it will most likely be new to  
me."  
"I've never heard of anthro scavengers but other than that, they manage with engineering, fixing up machines and guns...", you begin but notice it's pointless to carry on further. They did manage to pull off pretty basic tasks in the camps where they lived as parts of the community.  
"So I might as well...", Ayren starts but a gunshot from a distance breaks her off and you all throw yourselves against the ground. The bullet dusted off some concrete above your heads. Not a very accurate shot, you conclude and that means raiders. You had to pull Ayren down because she just frozed. She landed on top of you and when you look each other in the eyes while she is lying on top of you, you get carried away for a moment. You feel her human like body against your front and see a cat-like face above you which looks simply put bewildered and confused at once. You both roll over and notice anyone didn't see you.  
"From above!" Jack shouts.  
"Move out, spread and take positions. Anon and Jack flank them!" White commands. You never really looked behind when you charged towards the gunfire with Jack. Abe and White would be the support just as always. 'Spread and take positions' was the command for you to go close up on them. Rifles were best from afar while you two would rip them apart from up close.  
You still felt the weight of Ayren on you and were overcome with mixed feelings.  
You were disgusted and horny at the same time and you couldn't but hate yourself for both.  
"We need to climb up", Jack whispers. He had spotted the shooter or shooters up on the highway. Where else would any selfrespecting raider or some other asshole be? Even a short break in such a place was a stupid call.  
Always look for a fucking high ground, not low because that is just the place for any gun to point at. White was clearly losing his touch if he fell for such mistakes and still none of you had retorted when he stated the break was to be kept at the base of the highway.  
You sneaked forward and made your way up on the collapsed road. It was steep but carefully you climbed upwards using cracks and holes in the pavement. You heard gunshots from below and up. Abe's AK no doubt was spewing metal and the tension on the highway was apparent. The gun was a treasure but also lethal.  
"I'm claiming that gun! Anyone who tries to pry it off of me hands is gonna get wasted", someone murmurs. Someone was close by and Jack prepared his machete for close quarters. With a sudden look there were five of them. Old clothing, diy tattoos all over where the skin was showing, protective gear improvized from all junk and shit available. In a way they looked like orcs from the 40K series. Too bad their bullets would go through like it was nothing. You didn't have a power armor, even the scarce armor you had wouldn't provide much in the form of protection against bullets.  
"Let's go through the carwreks, sneak up on them but don't go too near the edge. White may not realize in time it's your head that  
pops out from the cover."  
"Let's just try and make them go near the edge instead. We can pin them between our guns."  
It was a good plan despite shooting at the higher position was always more difficult than the other way around.  
You proceed with care, silenty and with discipline like ninjas. You could have take a shot or two but miss and you would waste a valuable bullet. You had done it so many times before it was familiar, it was a routine. You recognized the echo of the Remington and the ricochet when the bullet bounced off from the concrete just mere inches away from the raiders head. The dust and particles hit his face and screaming he was set off balance. Jack and you look him in the eyes with horror as he realized your presence. That can't be happening!  
"Shit!"  
"Behind us! Behiind!"  
The raiders are overcome with surprize and fleeting confusion which you exploited. You both fire a shot or two and dive behind the carwrecks.  
"How... just fucking how?"  
"Don't think about it, we need to figure out how to get away from this mess", you shout over the gunshots and screeching metal. Sparks and rust fly all around you as bullets are trying to find their way to you. Jack fires a couple of shots from beneath the ruined car, inciting a couple of loud curses.  
The gunshots cease for a moment and you dare to take your hands off of your ears. Something landed in the front of you, not a stone but made of metal.  
You recognized a handgrenade when you saw one.  
'Unbelievable...'  
Jack did something you never thought to happen in the real life. While you sat there frozed he pulled off some Hollywood tier hero stunt and jumbed on the grenade, covering it with his body.  
"Jack, you sonava...!"  
The world just disappeared. You blacked out due the shock and the whole highway shook, but when you came to your senses you smelled smoke, fire, burned clothes, blood, shit and a large variety of unidentified yet stomach wrenching stinks.  
"Wooohooo!" someone bellows with awe.  
"What a mess! Take that you filthy scavenger!"  
You open your eyes and the sight made you think you had died and gone to hell. What used to be Jack, your friend and brother in arms, was now just... red. Blood and entrails everywhere. Your ears were ringing and you were bombarded with emotions of terror. You notice Jack's hand was still holding the pistol. You try to move your right hand and notice you couldn't feel any injuries. The pain would tell you to be careful but apparently Jack had taken all the grenade had to offer. You take the pistol and hide it under your cape. You just waited for them to drop their guard.  
"Holy shit! Just look at this mess", someone laughs in awe.  
"I think this one still has all of his loot intact. I'm claiming this one scavenger here so back the fuck off!"  
Someone began to poke your clothes and go through your pockets. You grab him by the throat and ram the pistol up in his mouth. You fire and his cheeks balloon up for a moment as blood spews out from the back of his head. He goes limp and you get up in an instant. You raise your sawn-off and fire in the general direction without a care of wasting ammunition. Your body was burning with terrible emotions, they were washing over you and taking control. You raise your sawn-off and pull the trigger again inciting a loud roar. The buckshot hits the raider's shoulder, throwing him off balance and he stumbles over the railing. The departing scream ends with a distant thud. You forget your shotgun and squeese the pistol firing a shot after another. The remaining raider who had not recovered from the surprize fidgets as the bullets rip through him. The gun was empty and so was the raider emptied from life.  
You raise the shotgun and fire again when you see movement, not even sure when you reloaded. He was not armed with a firearm which was typical. Not all raiders could afford guns, usually low ranked ones or the ones who were pledges. Some guys just never had the nerve to claim the loot they had found in their anarchistic community. You empty the second barrell without a doubt and he just jumps backwards as the buckshot does its job and liquifies his entrails. You breathe deep and and make your way to the railing. You raise your hand and inform the others. You never really thought White would mistake you for a raider, he rarely used scope due to the risk of the lensflare yet he still could shoot very well, not like Simo Häyhä but well enough. Still you hear the familiar bang coming from his rifle that echoes beneath the highway.  
Right next to you something pops. You look behind you and see the fifth raider lying on the ground with his head opened up by the shot. He had sneaked behind you holding a knife. You had forgotten the numbers of the raiders but what can you expect when you just saw your friend blowing up and raining down on you?  
"Watch your goddamn back, boy", White hails from the radio. "And what was the damn noice, it sounded like a thunderclap."  
You raise your radio to your mouth level. What would you even say?  
"It's... Jack", you hiss on the radio. The moment of silence stretched to no end.  
"Jack didn't make it?"  
Even when White's voice was unmoved and uncracked, you could feel him vince. You could see him fighting to keep his self-restraint and still be the leader you all counted on.  
"Affirmative."  
"Understood. Just sit tight, were coming to you."  
You throw the empty pistol on the ground and hope you never have to see the damn thing again.  
By the time they managed to climb up, you were sitting against an old car. You smoked a cigarette, Camel brand which you had looted from one of the raiders. Whatever it was what else they were carrying, you couldn't care less.  
"Anon!" Ayren shouts but you are unmoved. She is the only one who is interested of you first, not the nightmarish sight behind a carwreck. White and Abraham freeze completely. White somehow keeps his posture but Abe is fighting puking. He turns away and sits down frowning. White walks to you where Ayren already is taking your head between her paws/hands.  
"Anon. Look at me", she speaks gently. You didn't like to be touched but somehow you didn't feel compelled to reject her.  
"Are you injured?"  
You were covered in blood and whatever flew on you when Jack blew up. Only because of the terrible mess the raiders didn't realize you were alive and didn't shoot you point-blank. You surely were almost dead looking.  
"It's not my blood", you stutter and take another hit from your cigarette.  
"Listen to me", Ayren says firmly, not loosening her grip for a moment. She almost presses her forehead against yours.  
"It was not your fault."  
How many times you had heard it?  
How many times you had said it?  
Just how many times it really had helped?  
"He jumped on the grenade. He saved my sorry ass by...!" you sob but your voice is broken down and tears blur your vision. Losing a friend in battle was always to be expected but it never prepared you for it when it actually happened. Not that grown up men never really dared to express their feelings among each other but Ayren somehow made it feel appropriate. You couldn't help but feel ashamed even while she hugged and hushed you. When had you even had anyone this close to you? For all you could remember you had always been fighting and running. You grab her jacket and pull her close. The tears washed away the taste of blood from your lips.  
"Anon. I hate to ask you this but have you checked the bodies? Did they have other explosives with them?" White asks.  
"I haven't looted anything but the cigs. Bark at me for smoking, I don't care."  
"You know we have no time for this. The gunfight will attract anyone within miles and we need to be elsewhere as soon as we can."  
"Yeah... whatever you say, boss."  
"Can you take care of the looting? I need to check if he has any injuries", Ayren asks and White responded with a nod.  
"Abe, help me with the looting. We need to do this quickly." Jack had been your comrade but it was always different to those who saw the member being killed and shared the last moments.  
"As soon as we heard the grenade going off we knew something had transpired. White had gone... well, white."  
You chuckle reluctantly at her unintended joke.  
"I know you would tell me if you were injured and when it comes to explosives, it would be well apparent. It's the mental injuries I'm  
worried about."  
"I can move on. I have to. We're scavengers, we only stop to heal our wounds and to say goodbye to those we've lost. We don't have  
even burials."  
Ayren rummages through your cape and other stashes for the cigarettes. You hand her the pack that still had a couple left and light it for her.  
"I know this is a bad choice but things like these are a luxury", Ayren says as she inhales the smoke. Soldiers throughout history had always smoked cigarettes. It relieved tension and calmed the nerves.  
"I've lost people I cared about, Anon. Can you stand?" she asks as she blows the smoke.  
You answer her by standing up.  
"Ayren. Come here", White commands. The motorist looking cat lady turns at your leader. He hands out two weapons at Ayren. A bloody  
machete and a Glock.  
"These were Jack's choice weapons."  
"I can't take those."  
"They were his tools and he lost his life carrying these. You are our close combat addition now that he's gone. Have you fired a  
pistol before?"  
Ayren looks at the weapons for a while and puffs smoke.  
"I have. Mostly revolvers but I know how a pistol works."  
"Then please, make no excuses. They're yours."  
Ayren holds the gun like it's meant to be held. She clearly couldn't get over the fact that she owned a gun now. After looting the raiders you have more ammunition in your possession and some food. No grenades whatsoever, just the basic tools and lousy homemade drugs. Grenades were rare and highly valued, almost so valued that it's a miracle they used it on you.  
As you look at the sun beginning its slow descent, you feel Ayren's hand on your shoulder. Her smile is warm and friendly.  
"Ready to go?" you ask.  
"I'm ready for anything."  
And so you run together. Leaving behind a place where your comrade's remains were, was heart wrenching but he would not want his sacrifice to be in vain. So with a new meaning you forge onwards.

Chapter 3.  
-Forging towards the sunset

The road had gotten heavier. Every step weighed a ton where it earlier had been just as any daily task. White had instucted everyone to let you go and take point. You felt Ayren's eyes on your back and you couldn't but think of her firm embrace. The fuzzy woman wearing the biker jacket and sharing a cigarette with you after a tough fight... for the first time in a long while some kind of connection was to be felt. Still you needed some distance to others, even when Ayren's touch and closure had almost become a need to you now. You wanted to be close to her but you also needed some time alone.  
You saw an eagle gliding past above you and disappear. How you wished you had wings.  
Did they make winged anthros with project Adam?  
If so, surely the ringed cities littered across the country had them. Those places still lived their lives as the world was in the past. They would have fastfood, videogames and maybe even some shitty TV-shows where brainless celebrities enjoyed their time in the spotlight. They wouldn't have to fight for their lives every single day and watch people die.  
When you were sunken into your thoughts while gazing at the ringed city in the distance, the others joined.  
"That is the City-12. It's located roughly 27 miles from Manhattan. There are people living in the ruins of Manhattan but the gangs and tribes have been fighting over control for years", White explained. Such warzones were everywhere and it didn't look like anyone was winning.  
"Is there any place where people are living peacefully?" Ayren asked and lowered her paw on your shoulder.  
"You are looking at such a place. With their high walls and personal armies, they aren't letting anyone in. The air-rails deliver food  
from the production facilities and they have everything. They sleep in clean beds, water comes from the tap and they get to use decent  
toilets", White grunts.  
You take the cigarette pack from your pocket and put the poison stick into your mouth. Ayren takes one when you offer her and Abe didn't say no to it either. White is looking at you with a frown when you poke his chest with the pack.  
"Oh, fuck it!"  
Soon the all four of you smoke the last remaining cigarettes.  
"Oh Lord above", Abraham sighs. You knew he smoked before the Fall and when everything collapsed. He sucks the smoke and puffs it through his nose like he was having sex to it.  
"What's up with these anyway? People are always willing to pay for these but everyone also say it's dangerous."  
Abe and you sigh because you know what comes next.  
"The smoke contains thousands known toxic chemicals, which cause cancer and other shitty conditions. It will maul your respiratory  
system and oxygen intake. In the 1925 there was an hungarian guy who invented the 'safer' smoking and every fucking tobacco company  
followed the example by adding the filters. As we saw later it didn't really work."  
Ayren looked at her cigarette appalled. Her little enjoyment had just revealed its true face to her.  
"Before you ask why people do it, it's addictive", White finishes and scatters the cigarette ash in the wind.  
You don't really care and take a deep breath. Cancer was undoubtedly the least of your concerns. Ayren follows your example while White tosses his cigarette away first. He didn't smoke too much of it though.  
"I wonder if they have tobacco there", Abraham ponders.  
"They surely have cigars. Cubans...", you join his dreaming.  
"Cohibas. Robustos of all variety..."  
"Surely whisky as well. Peaty and smoky."  
"Single malts old as a man. Lagavulin, they gotta have it", Abraham clenches his teets.  
You stand in silence and ingnore completely the fact that twilight was setting in.  
"We need to get in", you whisper.  
'We will get in.'

The hordes woke up and left their domain, where ever that was, and spreaded out in the wilderness during the night. White never really shared much details regarding the matter which only meant that he knew something more about it. The hordes however were nocturnal and known to everyone in the new and cloriously sad world. Without shelter at the nightfall knew almost a certain death.  
"The hordes are pretty much absent in the proximity of the ringed cities", White explains. You still had shelter nonetheless in the gradle of the ruins; old gas station and or some other small place for the travelling people of the old world.  
"What are the hordes anyway?" Ayren asks as she goes through the shelves. The place was pretty much plundered already but she was a woman who always remained hopeful.  
"They are a mix of mutants. A byproduct of the project Adam. There were others involved who were working on the less... human  
projects."  
Ayren ceases her scavenging and gives White a startled look.  
"Are they failed versions of my people?"  
"Nothing like that", White waves it off.  
Abraham came from the back smiling. He was holding a bottle of whisky, cheap from the looks of it but things like that were a delicacy.  
"We should drink this for Jack. Scavenger funeral, you know."  
You all sat down on a table and made yourselves comfy. The bottle was going from hand to hand and White brought up his previous topic.  
"I guess I should pick up where we left off."  
You all become interested. Ayren quite visibly does so as her ears begin to point at the ceiling.  
"We had cutting edge technology and the computers did all the work for us. We never had to try how our genetic tampering would turn  
out in real life. When the genetic sequence looked stable and worthy of making, we ran it in and the cells began to form in the  
artificial wombs. In a few months we had our first generation anthros", White memorizes with a smile. He was part of something great  
that would shape the history. As he is sitting on a coffee table with his rifle in his lap, his smile suddenly begins to degrade. It turns into a frown.  
"Some of them died still", White whispers and you notice he just reached the point when he would share his painful memories, which he normally would not talk about. Guess the whisky got his tongue loose or the recent death just made him less sulky.  
"I still remember the moment when we opened the tanks for the first time in history. I watched them grow in the nutrition fluid like  
they would grow in a womb. We never knew certain what was to come. We heard their heartbeats in the monitors, their brain signtures  
were what we thought to be normal but still we never really knew what was to come", White explained and he asked for a another mouthful of whisky. He sneered and sighed as you waited with anticipation him to go on.  
"They cried like human babies. I never forget that", White almost weeps. You and Abe never had seen him like that. Always so unmoved and thuggish leader, always determined to overcome anything with his fearless comrades, now almost wepts at his memories.  
"We had become parents", White admits.  
"What happened next? You said there were... losses", Ayren asks carefully.  
"In the following months about 3 percent of our creations had perished without apparent reason. It happens with babies sometimes, they  
just cease to live. I named mine Arthur."  
You all give him time to gather his thoughts.  
"Black wolf cub with eyes like saphires. We knew growing attached to them was unwise but we were meant to see how they would turn out  
as beings. So we gave them what we thought to be the most wise decision; we gave them a family. As for my little Arthur... I watched  
how he grew slowly under my watchful eye, I remember his first steps and how he stumbled trying to walk towards me with his funny  
little paws... clumsy little boy", White snorts. He sighs again and you somewhat know what was to come.  
"I still don't know why...", White sneezed clenching his teeth.  
He is visibly unable to go on. He wipes his eyes not allowing his tears to show in the front of his soldiers. From a scientist to a leader of a warband, he still had a curse of having a heart.  
"To Arthur", you say and raise the almost empty bottle above table. You take a swig and hand it to Abraham next who follows suit, parrots the name and extends the bottle to Ayren.  
"To little Arthur", Ayren whispers, takes a swig which she is trying to force down without throwing up.  
White gets up.  
"I'll take the first watch", White informs and exits the cafe. That was his way telling of that he needed some time alone.  
That one single name still lingered in the air. The name of a little boy who never came to be a man.

The night was filled with awkward silence. Normally that was a mandatory when you would have to hide under an enemie's nose but this was not the case anymore, not so close to the city. Abraham used he chance to sleep before his turn on guard. You didn't thought of doing anything differently and tried to sleep in the mids of the rubble. You had a place that didn't have anything hard or pointy sticking out of it and lied down without sleep. You notice Ayren a short distance away from you. She is pulling the slide back and forth from her pistol. It was normal to study one's tools, especially if one had not owned guns before. You were somewhat worried if she accidentally made a hole in her paw or someone's leg. Accidents with guns were commonplace when inexperienced people got their hands on those exciting toys.  
"Something wrong?" you ask her.  
"I can't sleep. Too damn nervous", she admits.  
"You're not the only one. It's normal with this way of life but it's the survival instinct."  
She ceases her playing and puts her gun away. To your pleasure you noted that she put the safe on. She knew her responsibility at least.  
"Is it because what I think it is?"  
"My clothes are still drenched in his blood."  
"I can smell it. I wish I could help you feeling better but I doubt something like that is cured with mere words."  
Your mind was taken back at the moment of the ambush when she was lying on top of you. You hoped you could lie next to her, to feel her close and be soothed by her presence. You didn't want to use your trauma as an excuse to get closer with her however. Surely she'd say no but still... you didn't want to take any advantage from Jack's death. You had always confronted the enemy face to face, knowing that any of those times could be the last. And now Jack was no more.  
"You underestimate yourself. We humans are social creatures and we rely on words and closure of others. You already help me", you explain and don't lie. You could have sworn that she blushed. She curled her finger against her short muzzle.  
>"So how about you? What keeps you awake?"  
She pondered how to bring it up.  
"I still can't believe White was there when the first generation was made."  
"I can't believe it either", you admit. Of all the people he was in your group. People like him should be living in one of the ringed  
cities.  
"You don't get it. I always thought it was some dystopian and nightmarish lab filled with failed experiments and heartless scientists,  
who cared only about the results. Now I heard they considered the first generation as their children, adopted them, cared for them  
and... I feel so sorry for White."  
To be honest not feeling sorry was difficult. You try to not to think of it. How he grew attached to little Arthur and one day he was just gone. Life was cruel and on some level you always knew White felt responsible for it.  
\------  
Distant echoes erupted in the night. The ground shook with faint but notable force. Ayren got tense but didn't startle since you were calm. Rapid firing somewhere in the distance. Abraham opened his eyes and hugged his rifle.  
The atmosphere was like from a warmovie. The distant gunshots and explosions echoed in the ceiling and the walls.  
White barged in and told everyone to come out.  
In a minute you all stood among the rubble and tried to see where the fight was at. You soon spot some kind of bout at the gates of the ringed city. There was fire and muzzle flashes at the base of the wall.  
"Raiders. They are trying to break in", White concludes. Bigger blast is almost felt all the way at your location. "Idiots. Those walls are reinforced congrete and fourteen meters thick", White laughs.  
"I really had to get up because of this?" Abe retorts even while he did find the show rather amusing.  
"Yeah, we're leaving", White says like it was a fact. It pretty much was.  
"But those fuckers are pretty much done soon, can't we rest for once?"  
"When they decide to give up and run, they might come this way and at the time they will be pissed."  
"And beaten. We could ambush them in return."  
"That's not the scavenger way. We engage only out of necessity."  
Raiders never really were worth robbing. Their guns were made of old pipes, lethal for sure but lacked the accuracy and range of modern firearms. Scavengers were always worth the risk. Raiders managed to cook up explosives and occasionally pillage decent guns but other than that, their numbers and mean attitude were their stenght.  
"I think we should bend the rule sometimes", Abe grunts and flings his rifle to his back.  
"Abe, you're on point", you inform him since he was the only one who had gotten any sleep. It was the other rule: rested eyes always on the front.  
So without rest you embark once more.

Chapter 4.  
-Plans of tomorrow

"I don't know how you guys can live like this", Ayren pants. You had to cease your travel several times because Ayren couldn't keep up with you. Humans were unbeatable in the long distance running. Ayren drinks from her bottle some water and sighs.  
"I'm sorry to be a burden", she apologizes.  
"You're not a burden", White explains while this wasn't entirely true.  
"You're just unaccustomed to this way of life. The start is always difficult. This life is tough and you've managed well so far", White explains fatherly.  
"We've been on the road for weeks now. We should conserve what we have", you inform.  
"We need to raid some raiders soon if this keeps up. There hasn't been any decent loot in a while and if we run out food and water, we are pretty much done for", Abe mumbles while he is counting his bullets. He had his 'emergency' magazine in his normal place on his belt but any normal ammunition was to be counted in couple of dozens. Then there were the 'money', that was the wrong calibers but when traded, would be equal to old times money. Bullets were the most common currency and one would be stupid to throw it away.  
You listen to their chatter as you look out of the window. The glass was absent as it was in the whole city. It used to be an apartment complex, normal seven store buildings before the fall. Calling it a city would be misleading but it provided shelter for certain. A short while ago you had spotted an old grocery store but nothing of value was present besides shelter for the night.  
You spotted someone walking in the middle of the buildings. He was radioing to someone. The clothing was makeshift and patched up like everything in those days used to be.  
"Eyes up. I see someone", you inform them and everyone ceased their doing. Ayren took her pistol in hand but didn't remove the safe. You went through the movements in your head that would occur in the case of a fight.  
"They are using radios. Short distance", White explains.  
"He has a crossbow, pretty good one at that from the looks of it", you notice.  
"I can't tell if he's with the raiders or not", White whispers and bites his lip struggling. Generally it was impossible to be sure when judging by the clothing.  
"I hear footsteps", Ayren warns you. It dawns to you finally. The radio!  
"Arm yourselves and get ready", White commands. You check your shotgun and see the bottoms of two shells. With a metal click you armed your trusty tool. In indoors it was unmatched as a weapon. The shots easily filled hallways where bullets may easily miss.  
"At least two, left and right closing in", Ayren is giving updates.  
"What would we do without your ears", Abraham compliments and sets his rifle on sigle shot mode. Rapid firing was the most ideal for close quarters but it consumed way too many bullets.  
"Ayren", you say and she meets your eyes with anticipation.  
"We're up", you inform her with a smile.  
"Take your positions and wait for the signal", White commands. You know how it would play out. Sometimes you'd have to fight dirty. Not that White's rifle was too much of use now anyway. You hide in the ruins of the building and Ayren twists her ears picking up sounds you could not hear.  
"They are closing in."  
"When White pleads for his life, we engage and take them by surprize", you whisper. You weren't far, you could actually see the place through the torn up walls.  
"They should be here soon."  
You lower your hand on her shoulder and her emerald green eyes lock with yours. She was adorable with her sandgoggles lifting up the hair on her forehead. The biker jacket along with other makeshift armor made her look almost intimidating while pretty damn cute.  
"It's okay. We got this", you assure her.  
She nods firmly.  
The quick steps echoed and soon White and Abe began their play.  
"Don't move! The guns, don't even think about it!" someone shouts.  
"What are you doing here?"  
"We just rest here", Abe gasped pretending to fear for his life. Only White would give the signal since you had always counted on his judgement.  
"You raiders?"  
They both went silent. You lock eyes with Ayren and she thinks of the same thing.  
"Who are they?" Ayren whispers but you really can't say for sure.  
"Top gear and lighweight clothing", one of them mumbles.  
"We're scavengers", White admits. "We've been on the run for a long time. We didn't know this place is occupied."  
"Not so fast. You may still be raiders."  
"If you were raiders we'd be dead already and I've never seen military grade weapons on raiders", White shines with his intellect.  
"Very good! Now... your turn. How do we know you're no raiders?"  
"We aren't alone", White smiles, you can tell it by the tone of his voice. Sometimes his way of playing with life was almost unacceptable but guess he knew his shit.  
"Don't make any sudden movements, please, we are low on ammo."  
The attackers grew tense.  
The radios buzzed and someone began talking.  
"Bzzzz... Todd, Diego? You there?"  
Todd and Diego didn't do anything. They were frozen in place.  
"Well? Tell them."  
"It's cool. Just sit tight."  
"We have an anthro with us. Raiders kill them outright as they kill just about everyone. Would that convince you?" White continues.  
"Why can't anthro be with raiders?" one of the guys asks. They were pushing their luck. You could nail them through the walls anytime.  
"My, I don't know even if they could. Let's at least do this like gentlemen. Anon, Ayren. Come greet our guests."  
You look at each other in the eyes and decide to leave the cover. You rest your shotgun on your shoulder as you approach from their both sides. Todd and Diego really had good equipment. They were wearing old riot police uniforms and bulletproof vests. They had armed themselves with shotguns. They both look at you startled, perhaps due learning the fact that you were aiming at their backs all the time.  
Ayren still has her pistol resting next to her thigh.  
You notice one of them is latino and the other black as a night. Not some Tyrone de Feelgood kinda one but pretty trigger happy looking guy still.  
"As you can see, we could have taken you out anytime", White smirks.  
"Ayren", the latino guy gasps. Ayren's ears perk up as she recognizes the man. You all look at Ayren.  
"Diego?"  
You all watch appalled as they hug each other and Diego lifts her up on his arms like his little sister. You feel your heart sinking.  
"Ayren, little sis!" Diego bellows and buries his face into her hair. You feel little less disheartened and share a confused look with Todd who doesn't seem to understand it anymore than you do.  
"I thought you were gone for good, where the hell have you been all this time", Diego almost sobs.  
"With these boys here. They pulled me from the clutches of some raiders. I was taken with the others but...", Ayren explains but the memories of the ones you couldn't save overcome her.  
"Hey, hey, it's okay", Diego soothes her. In the arms of her friend she finally lets it out. It was understandable but still you felt bitter. You had to go outside.  
"Don't go there alone", Todd advises. The house was pretty much surrounded and he reports the situation through radio. You didn't really care if they shot you to pieces, you just realized something you only had barely considered.  
Todd was nice enough to make sure no one would shoot you and accompanied you. You step out the building holstering your shotgun and you immediatelly see more men with guns. Todd waves them off and guns start pointing away from you.  
"What are the odds?" Todd ponders.  
"You know Ayren too?"  
"Nah. Diego was found in the desert almost dead a while ago. There were a dozen who escaped some place called South Haven. They barely  
had any clothes on and we took them in."  
"You got cigarettes?"  
"No. That shit is luxury, man."  
"I know."  
Somehow you couldn't rejoice even despite the fact that you had a place to stay for now. Ayren would likely stay and your team would run in the desert. You wanted to leave that damnable place behind with all its damnably nice and friendly people.  
"A scavenger", someone whispers. "No way!"  
"Wonder how long hes' been out there", some other guy ponders.  
"We'll put some food in the table for you guys tonight. We should celebrate", Todd smiles like he had known you for years. It was hard not to be happy but being happy wasn't exactly easy either right now.  
"Thanks."

The base really had no name but it was built in the parking hall's maintenance network. The parking halls usually were like fortresses and they only needed some improving if one wanted to turn one into a post-apocalyptic headquarter of operations. You were escorted to such a place and it was also well hidden for one. You had entered the house from the opposite side so not even your seasoned scavenger eyes had picked up anything extraordinary. Somehow your new allies had picked up your movements however. You immediatelly think of some kind of surveillance system. That was not uncommon since there were a lot of old worlds' tech that still worked.  
As Todd had promised: your group soon was sitting at a table with all kinds of foods. The canned foods were pretty much absent. You had fresh vegetables, fresh meat and clean water. Not the most typical welcoming meal but it simply screamed healthy and nutritious.  
"How did you manage to come up with all this?" White wonders.  
You wondered where Ayren was. Maybe she was having some quality time with her latino friend.  
"We have our ways", a new voice said. Some oldish guy entered the room and sat down to the table. Todd was gone at the time, perhaps the boss guy wanted to get to know you without hindrances.  
"Parking halls are good places to live. You can fit all kinds of things here. This parking hall goes partially underground and consists six floors. We raise animals, farm corn and another variety of plants."  
"Amazing!" White compliments.  
"Forgive me. My name is Daniels and I'm somewhat the leader of this place."  
You all introduce yourselves one at a time.  
"Now, eat."  
You follow the advice even while you're not entirely sure if they had made all the inviting steaks out of human. They wouldn't do that, not everyone was such a psychopath. The food was simple. Cooked meat and steamed vegetables: pretty much the best variety for human consumption.  
"Scavengers at our doorstep", Daniels smiles and sees it rather unlikely. It was unlikely: scavengers keep themselves hidden.  
"Not only that but you had this girl with you. Friend of Diego."  
"We crossed paths when we stormed some old compound. She was there sitting in a cage", Abe admits because he knew White wouldn't speak with his mouth full.  
"You arrived in a nick of time then. Raiders let no one live and surely you know this. Should you stay longer, you'll see that we have several non-humans here but we treat them as equals."  
White finished his plate full of steamed broccolis and other vegetable matter. He barely touched the meat which got you rather suspicious, but you didn't see any hidden signals to stay away from it. He wipes his mouth and gets more serious.  
"I see you have questions for us. Please, ask away."  
Daniels drinks some water and fixes his posture. He was in a good shape, more of a strenght guy than resilience and stamina.  
"We have everything here to feed our people. Still we need eyes out there. We can give you a decent place to stay if you become our runners."  
White stares at the table where food becomes more and more absent. You were used to eat little and eat what you could come by. You can feel the strenght coming back to you. You felt like a god and cabable of overcoming anyone and anything. You gave one fleeting thought for Ayren and Icaros plummeted down from the sky.  
"I find it intriquing but I must speak with my guys. Should we stay, we make that decision as a group."  
"I perfectly understand. Even though... my guys barely last a day out there and here you are", Daniels finishes his sentence in a laugh.  
"You have food and all we can offer but still the dangers of the wasteland call to you. The anthros with us are constantly glorifying  
themselves over humans for their amazing features but you... scavengers. You are what humans are meant to be", Daniels praises you almost as he was inebriated by your presence.  
"I suppose there are tensions among the groups", White ponders.  
"Oh, way too much. But that's how it is. We are tribalistic by nature and apparently the anthros share this trait as well. It's only  
natural to seek the company of the likes of yourselves."  
"That is true."  
"Different anthros are suitable for different tasks but I can see groups forming. Some anthros even refuse to talk with humans, which  
is pretty stupid. We are a community, not a rivaling faction. If any problems should arise, seek me out. Now... I must return to my duties but is there something you'd like me to arrange?"  
"How about someplace to wash my clothes, take a bath and sleep?" you ask.

Daniels surprized you how well it was arranged. You sat in a bathtub full of steaming water. Your clothes were washed by someone else and you were sipping beer. The place wasn't the image of a bath-house with its bare concrete walls but it was luxury nonetheless. You take another gulp of beer from a can, where ever the hell they found those, they clearly were reserved for special occasions.  
They must really want you to join them.  
"To you Jack, my comrade and a brother in arms", you mumble as you raise the beercan towards the grey ceiling. The electric light flickered once and kept on working normally like it had given some sort of answer. Of course you'd like to think Jack's spirit was present. He was gone, nothing was a sign of his presence, no matter how much you'd like to believe otherwise.  
You empty the can, toss it on the floor with the others and get up. You wrap a towel around your waist and stretch. There was a mirror on the wall and you measure your shiny body. The long distance runner and warrior physique was almost god-like. You have to smile at the almost fatless muscles bulging under your skin. That must be how the spartans looked like with their resilient and lightning fast muscles back in the day when real warriors were made.  
Someone knocks on the door.  
Immediatelly you eye for your sawn-off and recall where you were. But who would it be?  
"Anon. It's me", familiar woman's voice echoes through the door.  
"Come on in", you mumble and remember too late you have only your towel. Well, you weren't naked so who cares? It wasn't a goddamn middle-east or anything.  
Ayren steps in holding your clothes and freezes with a gasp.  
"What?" you shrug.  
"I a... I brought your clothes. I thought I should be the one doing it", she stutters. You don't really follow why it should be her of all people.  
"Thanks", you say and go through them. Your hood, cape and everything was clean. Getting all the blood out was impossible but they were clean as they could be, aside from the fact that they were worn and torn from here and there just like usual but that masked you better to the surroundings.  
"I... wanted to speak with you."  
You lock eyes with her. She didn't have her gear, just normal clothes. You felt pretty naked even without your gear, it was a part of you and you didn't feel complete without your scavenger outfit.  
"Please stay", she begs.  
You can only stand and watch her in your slightly inebriated state.  
"You have a place to stay and not only that, someone familiar with you. I don't know whether we stay or not."  
She is baffled and trying to come up with something to say. You can see her struggling with the words she is trying to say but is either scared or doesn't know how to bring it up.  
For several nights out there in the desert you had lied next to her gazing at the nightsky. When you couldn't sleep, you would look at the stars together and talk about many things. Some cold nights you stayed even closer keeping each other warm.  
And just today you saw her being embraced by someone else...  
You didn't even know if anthros could have working relationships with humans and still you felt bitter.  
You didn't feel just numb but dumb.  
"Please... just consider it, okay?" she pleads  
"We saved your life but that's just something any decent man would have done. I'm a scavenger and that hellhole of a world outside is my true home. Should we depart soon, I had fun with you", you smile and Ayren begins to frown.  
"You had fun, huh? That's it?" she hisses baring her teeth.  
"What else do you wan't me to say?"  
"All those nights together... the things we spoke about only to each other. The dangers we braved together...", she whispers with teary eyes. "It means nothing else to you?"  
>"You and Diego... aren't you two...?"  
Ayren clenches her teeth and walks up to you. Your heart sinks as she grabs you by the shoulder and pulls close. She wraps her lips around your mouth and for a moment you thought you were having the most peculiar dream.  
'On the other hand, it wouldn't be the first time if I was wrong about something.'  
You wrap your arms around her and return the passionate kiss. You feel her lean and fit body from above the waist, feeling every muscle and shape through the clothes. Despite her scavenger tier fitness she had two breasts which you could feel against your chest.  
You consider taking the step you couldn't back away from. She tastes you and breathes your scent through her muzzle. It's almost lustful and she is clearly fighting it as you are. She's gathering the courage for the great leap from friendship to romance but she also seems to lack the true desire to take it that far just yet. She pulls her mouth away from yours slowly and you could sense regret about her, not for the kiss but for not being able to take the step onwards.  
"Where ever you go", she whispers. You didn't need to hear the rest.  
"I'll go where ever the path takes me... as long as you're there with me", you answer.

Ayren lied next to you in her room. It was scarcely decorated if anything, just a room, perhaps an old storeroom but now with a comfy mattress. You just lied there in silence and letting the present sink in. You were in a relationship now. You were in a relationship with an anthro. How would it play out and how would the others react?  
You were a fighter and thus those questions didn't bother you. The deadly wasteland was your home and those fools needed you to survive.  
"You mind if I ask you something?" you begin.  
"Me and Diego."  
You wait her to continue.  
"We grew up together. Before the Fall and when my kind was being integrated in the society as a result of those rallies, there was a  
lot of persecution. I remember when they established the first schools for us, I was somewhere around ten at the time."  
"You age like us?"  
"Almost at the same pace, yeah."  
You feel yourself little eased. You were very little in contact with anthros in your time. You remember the rallies on the streets when for everyone's astonishment they demanded to be treated as legal citizens. You remember the riots and the public pressure towards the politicians who had to eventually give in and accept anthros as part of the society. The separate schools were established because no one wanted their human children with the "animals". Of what you knew, it was difficult time for everyone. Humans were prejudicial towards everyone by nature and it took time for the society to adapt.  
"Diego was pretty much like me: hated for his backround. His brother was shot in a gang fight and he always bore the label of a gangster, the label he worked so hard to shrug off and live normal. Diego is like my big brother and nothing else. You can cast off the suspicions, Anon. He won't get in between us."  
"I'm sorry I jumped into a sudden conclusion like that."  
She giggles and pulls you closer.  
"Don't be like that, I was flattered. You were jeallous to see me with someone, I think it was nice."  
You roll your eyes. Knowing her past she probaply felt wanted and accepted for the first time in her life.  
"And a scavenger even. Someone like you chose me over a human mate", she smiles. Her emerald eyes shine and she kisses you on your cheek.  
Over a human, you ponder. What really made you to fall for this non-human girl?

You woke up early despite your lack of rest. You had grown accustomed to it and your body still thought you were out there in the wastelands fighting and running. It caused a spike of excess energy making you restless. You sit up and take a look at peaceful and dreaming Ayren. Your heart feels warm as you see her. You think of all the others you failed to save and you had to shake your head to shrug off those terrible thoughts. As much as you hate to do it, you get up and get dressed. You couldn't sleep and others seeing you exiting Ayren's room might cause some unwanted attention. You leave the scavenger clothing in place and leave the room in your normal clothing: just a shirt and old throusers. You open the door and check if anyone is around. You see no one and step outside. You take the stairs to the surface and climb up to the roof of the parking lot where you expected to meet another restless soul. After a quick sweep with your sharp vision you see four guards keeping their eyes on the wasteland and destroyed buildings. The fifth is just sitting there and you make your way to him.  
"You too, huh?" Abe laughs.  
"Me too", you admit.  
You sit down next to him and gaze at the sky where stars were fading as it was dawning.  
"You don't have your gear?"  
You jump a little when you realize you left even your guns at Ayren's room. Luckily Abraham thought you were just thinking of your mistake more than the fact that you spent last night by Ayren's side. Ayren knew how to handle firearms... you hope. You always kept it loaded but not primed. Loaded guns were too notorious for going off by themselves and shotguns from that range... you had seen the results.  
"I know. It's difficult to re-learn things. I feel almost naked without them."  
The gear and the weapons were part of you. You didn't really feel complete without them even while you felt some relief, like a burden being lifted.  
"I could never leave my dear Julia anywhere", Abe babbles to his rifle.  
"Have you told her about your special magazine?" you ask and still thought the idea was stupid.  
"She goes where I go", Abe laughs and flashes almost pervy smile at his gun.  
"Riiiight."  
The first sunlight began to paint the buildings, making them glow with hues of gold. At sunrise the ugly and ravaged world almost looked beautiful.  
"Did you talk with White yet?" Abe asks you.  
"No, why?"  
'Instead I was pondering whether to fuck my new girlfriend or not.'  
"You know his degrees and all that. They asked him to run the medical ward of this place. Knowing White, he might say yes. He's good  
with his rifle but he's a scientist at heart."  
"But what about you?" you ask.  
Abraham is silent for a moment. He gazes at the lighting up buildings and bites his lip.  
"I long for running across the wasteland and living on the razors edge... but I know things could be better. We could be runners you  
and I... for this place. We are scavengers by heart, there's no denying it, my friend. We could stay here and live a better life, life  
with a purpose."  
You could live a life with a meaning. You could live that life with your friends and cease the constant transit for a while.  
"I don't see why not", you admit.  
The guarding shift was over for the four guys standing at the edge of the roof of the parking complex. They holstered their guns and made way to downstairs. You saw three humans and one tall wolf in riot gear. Big target for a rifle but luckily the raider weaponry tended to be rather lousy if not deadly still.  
"Being a runner is a tough job", you remind Abe.  
"It's pretty basic life for us, right?"  
You can't but agree.  
"These guys would see us as their elite. We would have liberties, we would have more everything than anyone else because we do the  
heaviest duty", Abe ponders.  
"It comes with a responsibility."  
"You just had to ruin it, didn't you?"

The following day was pretty uneventful to the midday. You just checked around the base and saw things which were noteworthy at least. You smelled a farm and moisture which no doubt was from this aforementioned agricultural and animal housing establishment. You checked the conservatory where mainly humans were working. You saw cornstalks, carrots, radishes, cauliflowers and broccoli growing from dirt pools and they were wetted with care by an automated system.  
"Pretty cool huh?" someone with a stupid looking apron said. Guess he ran the place.  
"You have everything here", you compliment.  
"The watering and lighting is all possible due generators. We humans get most of the vegetables and animals go mostly to our non-human  
comrades bellies. Perhaps in the future we'll have enough animals to put up a bbq-party."  
"That would be nice", you admit. The said guy led you to another reason for his pride. In the separate room were more dirtpools and the whole room was full of weed.  
You skipped the animal section but judging by the smell and occasional oinks they had pigs. When was the last time you had decent meat? It felt like it had happened in another time completely.  
Where ever you went you collected stares and looks. Everyone was looking at you as a new face and surely they knew about your backround.  
"That him?" someone whispers. It was pleasing to know that gunfire hadn't killed your ears completely.  
"He doesn't look much. That's what scares me."  
The latter came from a wolf man who was sitting at a card table. The said table was just a wooden box and some old buckets as chairs.  
"I heard they had spent a whole year out there."  
"Don't you fuck with me", the wolf growls.  
"And the old guy, he's like in his sixties."  
You walk onwards feeling the eyes on your back. The whispering and gossiping went on but you didn't pay much attention to it.  
"Hey! There you are", Diego runs to you. You are slightly startled at him but you take Ayren's word for it. He still had his riot gear which suggested he was part of the place's security.  
"I was meaning to talk to you", Diego admits and everyone is looking at you two. "I wanted to thank you personally. You resqued Ayren  
from a bad place and it pains me to know what would have happened had it not been for you and your friends."  
"We did what people do", you derogate.  
"Oh please, accept my gratitude and apologies for taking your for raiders", he smirks but with humility at that. You are pleased to know that he isn't blinded by pride.  
"You also did what people do."  
"Please, let me offer you a small token of my gratitude."  
He leads you one level below in a small maintenance area where sits a small booth. Diego knocks on the desk a couple of times and you are startled as a furry mug springs up from under it. It was an aardwolf or something, skinny guy with a dirty wife beater shirt on.  
"Diego! You've been awfully absent lately", the stupid looking furry bastard barks. The guy was a shortstack anthro and likely the shortest you've seen so far.  
"It will change, Geralt", Diego promises.  
'Dude what?'  
"This is the one, or one of them?" Geralt scans you from head to toe like some mirage.  
"One of the three", you correct and try not to think about Jack too much.  
"I was expecting him to be taller or at least stronger looking", Geralt admits while still measuring you.  
"That's enough. I'm paying for two", Diego informs and drops two bullets in his paws/hands. You didn't look at the calibers or brands in general but they looked like rifle cartridges at quick glance.  
"Splendid. Go on ahead", Geralt yammers and waves you to enter. You wait till you're sure that strange wolf/fox/rodent can't hear you.  
"Geralt?"  
"He's a fan of the series. Just don't bring it up or he'll go on about it for hours", Diego warns you.  
"Wait, what is this place?"  
Diego lets you to see for yourself. The place was filled with TV-screens and cables. Couches and comfy chairs were placed everywhere and it was pretty obvious what it was used for. No one else was there however besides you two.  
"A gaming hall!" you sigh with awe.  
There were consoles and controllers everywhere. Shelves had dozens of games and even more.  
"Holy... shit."  
Soon you play Gears of War 3 on co-op play and are overcome with memories. You just fire away like in the old days after a shitty shift after work. Your previous life was safe but almost bereft of meaning. Your live as a scavenger had shown you true life and what it was like having to earn everything instead of taking it for granted. Videogames were still good as ever but something was different.  
"Did Ayren tell you about me?"  
"Yeah, she told me", you admit and pretty much ignore him since you were being overrun by locusts.  
"Whatever you have going on with you two... I wont intervene."  
You get carried away and miss a shot from a torque bow with the result that you blow up in pieces. You wish blowing up was that clean in real life.  
"Does that happen?" you ask.  
"What? Sorry if I made any wrong assumptions...!"  
"No, it's okay. Does that work with humans and...?"  
"I've only heard things. Not that my information is solid or anything but I've heard it sometimes happening between humans and  
anthros. That's about all I know."  
You were hoping you'd know more. What if it didn't work like that and after all those hardships together, you'd break up over such stupid thing? You shrug it off: then you'd live with her anyway.  
"How did you met each other anyway?" you ask and leave the topic for now.  
Diego starts a new game and you respawn at checkpoint.  
"Before the Fall and after my stupid ass brother (may he rest in peace) got shot for his wannabe thug life bullshit, I got in trouble with the authorities and just about with anyone. Everyone always took me for my brother and eventually I ended up in the same place with anthros. It was some government program for down and out people such as me. Anthros pretty much... shit, those snipers get me everytime. Anthros were pretty much considered such in the first place and someone thought I could be 're-trained' to be a part of the society."  
"They put social outcasts and criminals in the same place with anthros?" you wince.  
"The assimilation program was expensive and therefore likes of me often ended up in the same places. It was like a goddamn prison most of the time. There I met our mutual friend", Diego finishes and frowns as he saws through cgi entrails and flesh.  
"Short story short: she was picked on, I beat up everyone who tried that with her and we became friends. I love my furry little sister  
but I could never imagine us together as a couple and I'm pretty sure she feels the same way. After the Fall and when everything went to shit we sticked together still and just survived. The word 'survive' echoes kinda stupid in this company but I think you know what I'm talking about."  
You nod.  
"Have you thought about the offer?"  
"I have. I'don't really see any other way. Not anymore."  
"Good. Such tough title comes with benefits", Diego laughs and blows you both up by accident.  
Once more you are reminded of Jack. People who complained about videogame violence clearly didn't know shit.

White was a scientist still. You've always seen him as your leader who'd pop heads with his rifle and commanded his fearless band, despite of his age. After brutally murdering dozens of cgi monsters Diego takes you to his quarters by your request. White's quarters were in the med bay apparently. You can see someone of his size standing at the table with his back facing you. He was wearing a labcoat like he had been born with it, it just felt like it was his style rather than dressing up like a scavenger. White had patched your team up for a long time. You bore scars of many battles and almost all of them had White's imprint when it came to tending them. Saying it was him who had saved your life in several occasions was not too far off.  
"You really look like your role model. Just the respirator is missing."  
White laughs and turns looking at you.  
"I still don't know why you see me as him. Maybe the age does it."  
"Your charisma does it", you laugh and White joins your laughing.  
"You wanted to see me, am I right?"  
"Yes, please sit down."  
You sit down on a cushioned chair, normally not seen in doctors offices.  
"You talked with Abe?"  
"Yeah. We're staying here?"  
"It's a big decision", White admits and pours two cups of tea. He hands you the other and you notice the minty aroma mixed with green tea.  
"We've been in transit for a long time and such life is too much for me. In the old days I would have perished long ago but thanks to modern medical science, even if almost absent now, has made it possible for me to live this long. Life of a scavenger however... I'm no longer cut out for such life. It's a miracle I'm still alive after all that. Too bad I never had kids, such genes will go to waste now", White ends with a laugh.  
"You on the other hand still have a future ahead of you even if this is my stop. I will always cherish the memories and the freedom of  
the scavenger life however. Getting used to this old new way of life will be difficult."  
"I know you're a scientist and what not. Surely you can do more good here than out there", you support him. White clearly was fighting  
his emotions and the difficulty of choice.  
"I never told this to you but you were like my sons. Out there I always kept my unmoved mug of a leader when something bad happened. I  
still shed many tears when you weren't seeing, I shed tears for people we killed and I shed tears for all those we lost along the way.  
I know you can never forget the way of life that is the life of a scavenger, but I only hope you won't perish on that path."  
White's fatherly attitude was visible and he didn't hold anything back. In a way that felt like a victory: you had achieved a safe harbour finally. After spending so long running away and fighting the overpowered enemy that was the wasteland, you didn't have to stay on your guard all the time. You can't even recall when was the last time you had a whole night of sleep. No more hordes scraping the structures and trying to weasel their way in to bite your head off. Safety, the unreal yet pleasant sense of safety. You knew such commodities got people killed.  
"Have you talked with Ayren?" White asks you all of a sudden.  
'More than that actually.'  
"Nope."  
Surely White saw your increased breath, dilating pupils and pounding heart when you thought about her lying next to you, let alone kiss you. You made it worse by thinking her green eyes which were the most beautiful thing you could think of.  
"Really?"  
"A little."  
"If you have feelings for her, please just say it."  
You didn't really feel like lying to him. You were embarassed at best but also mentally quarrelled with your current situation and you were hoping for some sort of support. No way it was an every day thing to call an anthro as ones companion.  
"We're... together actually", you admit with great difficulty and your tea cup is visibly shaking. White smiles and clearly he knew all along.  
"It's not a big deal actually", he surprizes you.  
"How is that even possible? We're so different."  
"Not so different actually. That's what you were thinking, right?" White raises a brow at you.  
You fall silent in dismay.  
"Just how would you know?"  
"I was part of the project Adam, remember? I knew how many toes or fingers they would have, what color of their eyes were and what foods likely were ideal for them. And I also was a doctor so... you go and figure how I know."  
"R... right..."  
The awkward silence stretched in more awkward proportions once more. You were talking about the intimate relationship with a nonhuman partner. You always figured you'd keep it a secret to the best of your ability and not ever your scavenger mates would never know about it. It was liberating to clear the unclear side of things.  
"How about the..."  
"Reprocreation? Don't worry about it, she may have partial human genes but it's not enough for mixing two species."  
You were kinda disappointed and relieved at the same time. There probaply wasn't a proper word for it anyway of how you felt at the moment.  
"You sure this isn't some kind of rogue research of yours and you're continuing it from where you left off?" you lift a brow at him.  
White laughs loudly and spills his tea. You on the other hand try to laugh and fail at it.  
"The idea is fascinating but I could never use you as an instrument of my science. I can still observe right? Nothing wrong from a  
moral point of view, as I see it."  
"You like to watch, huh? You dirty old man."  
White tries to muffle out his laugh but fails.  
"I get it if you're nervous, Anon. Everyone is nervous when they've just found a mate. Ironic isn't it? You've seen a gunfight up close and seen your friend die, yet still after all that you find yourself in a stressing position."  
"No shit", you scoff. The others will eventually find out and how would they react to it?  
'Fuck them', you conclude. You're a fighter, the pride of the human race.

The short talk with Daniels made him smile inwards but you could see just fine how thrilled he was. Establisments often relied on their fit soldiers who survived in the outside world long periods of time at once and knew where to look for important loot. Life of a runner was another thing: they were specialists at that. They knew how to avoid hordes, government patrols, fight raiders and find all the loot. You were such a man for the job now and the news spread rather fast. You often heard people praising their luck how they wouldn't have to make long and perilous runs in the wasteland anymore. No, it was you and Abe who would do it for them. You just show up out of the blue and everyone was overjoyed. Just how damn easily they let their guard down? Maybe that place really needed some experienced guys to fix things.  
Now you only wanted some more time with Ayren. If someone asked why you spend so much time in her quarters you would just explain that you forgot your gear. Yeah, nothing suspicious about that. You noticed you didn't even care.  
You knocked on the door and tried the handle. It opened but Ayren was nowhere to be seen. You enter and notice your gear on the same place where you left it. Slight disappointment washes over you. She clearly had been away for a while, maybe even ever since you woke up yourself. There was no point of staying now when the coast was clear. You would figure out later how to deal with the new relationship.  
\---  
After you geared up in your normal wasteland scavenger outfit you felt complete again. You felt you had become yourself again and you looked for a mirror. Ayren's room didn't have one which didn't surprise you. You check your gun and see the bottoms of two shells. You kept it loaded but not primed since accidents were commonplace with firearms and medical care nowadays was nothing it used to be. You entered the hallway exiting the room without consern of someone seeing you.  
"Hey, Anon."  
You lift your head and see who came to you. It was someone who you didn't know, some black chick with sleeveless shirt and mechanic overalls tied up on her waist.  
"So this is what a scavenger looks like, huh."  
"I guess."  
"Is it true you spend all the time out there and run all the time?" she asks with her eyes shining brightly.  
"Movement means safety. You make yourself hard to hit and you can outrun your chasers", you explain.  
"I guess that explains the lacking gear. You've ever been shot?"  
"Mostly they miss but I got a few scrapes and old scars."  
"And a sawn off? You really like to live on the razors edge don't you?"  
You felt uneasy all of a sudden. She was nice but you usually avoided human contacts outside your friends. Her dark brown skin and pure white teeth were almost unrealistically pure and scarless. Her smile almost illuminated the whole room.  
"It's reliable", you explain without exaggeration. "You've seen Ayren?"  
The brown mechanic girl takes a look at her room's door and then she lays her eyes on you. You almost hope she figures it out but most people would consider such assumptions almost rude so she just keeps her admiring appearance.  
"Oh, that pretty cat girl!" her face is set ablaze.  
"You know where she is?"  
"You were so brave to save her from those... fiends! The things they do to the non-humans is... it's hideous!"  
"I know. I was there", you admit with a lifeless mug.  
"I don't dare to imagine. How anyone can do that?"  
"Life is harsh out there", you reply with your one sentence conversation. You never really talked with any other than your friends. With Jack...  
"We have several non-humans who have seen it firsthand", this nameless mechanic keeps going. You feel somewhat uneasy not knowing her name, not because you wanted to know but because she keeps treating you like an old friend.  
"We try to pry them from the hands of the raiders when we can but our boys... they're not fighters at heart, nor they have the experience. But now we have the real deal with you and your guys."  
"We'll do our best", you reply with a faint smile.  
"Ayren's at the range. She was eager to learn some shooting. It's good she can deal with her losses."  
"Thank you."

The faint popping echoes long before you reach the range.  
"You're the scavenger everyone won't shut up about", some oldish guy laughs and hands you a pair of ear plugs which you make use of immediatelly.  
"The name's Lenicrast and I watch over this shrine of firegods!" he laughs. He strikes you as corpulent, very strongmanlike but friendly character.  
"Anon."  
He hands you a dozen of 12-gauge shells.  
"Am I not supposed to pay you, like with bullets?"  
"Bullets?" the guy frowns behind the desk. "You must have met Geralt. I heard he saw that method in some stupid videogame and he  
copied it right away! And when it comes to you scavengers, what good are you to us without ammunition, heh? Afterall you'll make the  
best use of them I believe", the corpulent man smiles.  
You proceed to the room that was carefully made indoors range. Only one was present at the moment, none other than the dark coated cat girl herself. You load you gun and place it on the table at the booth next to her. Her ears were plugged with tufts of cotton and she was concentrated at her aim. You crank the handle and a piece of cardboard floats away from the booth. Ayren's shooting ceases as she realizes she isn't alone. You raise the shotgun from the table and Ayren jumps when the cardboard is shredded with a loud blast. You empty the second barrel and the target is pretty much done, not that it really was any worth another shot anyway.  
"Anon! I nearly pissed myself!" Ayren comes to your booth and gives you a hug after removing the makeshift earcups. That's one thing one should never do at the range but no one else was present and shooting. After hesitating a little, she places a kiss on your lips.  
"Nice to see you, Ayren. Have you made any progress?"  
"It's surprizingly hard to score a decent shot with a pistol. I don't understand how you guys made it look so easy."  
"It takes time to master. As for me, I gave up and got a sawn off", you explain.  
"By the way, can I try?"  
You give her inquisitive look if she is serious.  
"You sure?"  
"I wanna try it out."  
You switch the target to a new one and load one shell. You both plug your ears and Ayren lifts the gun at the target.  
"Be careful though. The kickback is..."  
The blast echoes in midsentence and the gun hits her in the forehead as she tumbles on your arms.  
"Sonava bitch!" Ayren curses feeling her forehead in shame. She hangs the gun in another hand as you support her, keeping her on her paws.  
"I'm sorry, I should have warned you earlier."  
"Oh please! I think I'll live."  
She leans on you but not for support. She breathes in through her nose and seems completely taken by your scent. She keeps breathing throught her muzzle like she knew nothing of the real world as she grabs you tighter taking in your human scent.  
"Ayren?"  
"Sorry. Your scent... it's just captivating", she explains visibly ashamed yet still thinking of the topic.  
"Oh? How so?"  
"You smell strong and healthy. The mix of those two is just...", she covers her muzzle with her paws, trying to cover her smile.  
She expresses very strong emotions and none of them resembles or gives you the idea of she viewing it somehow unpleasant.  
"Don't be ashamed my dear. Just do what feels natural", you calm her.  
"You have no idea what feels most natural right now", she gasps.  
"What?"  
"I mean...! It's not what you think!" she shouts with horrified look and she jumps further away from you like she wanted to take back everything. Nonetheless your human eyes pick up her unspoken words like she was an open book.  
You step forward and lift your finger under her muzzle and she shuts her mouth. She tries to avoid your eyes with visible embarrasment but seeing her like that and thinking of what ever she might have on her mind doesn't really scare you. Surely the idea is exotic and exciting but not really unpleasantly scary. It scares you in a good way. Wasn't that just how everyone was when with a fresh companion? This time is was laced with some guilt perhaps, some notion of something maybe forbidden.  
"I just...", she sobs and you hold her closer. You bury your nose into her hair and she doesn't smell bad either. Guess you could call it scent, it's difficult to describe. It makes your heart pounding and you feel the muscles of her lower back tensing up beneath your fingers.  
"I just don't want to scare you away. I like you very much and some things are still foreign to me, some of it just feels wrong and...", she is trying to explain but you place a kiss on her lips and she goes silent.  
She forces herself to break the kiss and she takes a deep breath.  
"I want this... Anon. I really do. I'm just scared."  
You think of your life as a scavenger, the apex predator of the wastelands and what she is adding to that dark and merciless lifestyle when only thing that used to be comforting to you was a loaded gun. You recall the nights when she fell asleep right next to you while you watched the stars. You shared the details of your most private life and even as you never agreed to be lovers, you always somehow sensed it. It had been just closure and keeping each other warm till you found your new friends. You remember the moments of adrenaline and fear when death was just seconds away. Now you realize losing your own life never was what you were afraid of. After Jack you knew it.  
"Life of a scavenger is life of danger and our only luxury is to be able to breathe. No loot or won battle could replace what I have  
found on this journey. I could never find anything that is even half as good. Please, Ayren... don't be afraid, for with you I'm  
afraid of nothing... only losing you is what scares me."  
She squeezes you tightly and you can see her tears falling.  
"I always thought this world has nothing that is worth anything. After the Fall I stopped thinking of future because every version of  
it was devoid of hope. After you and your friends saved me from those raiders I realized that even in this hellish place you can still  
endure and forge on. To be consumed is a choice, not a fate", she cries agains your chest.  
"It's okay. It's okay, Ayren."  
"Having friends and someone to call a mate... without those there is nothing to life. I see it now and I have all the reasons to  
live."  
You wipe her tears and gradle her head between your hands.  
She was so fragile and innocent.  
Your Achille's heel.  
You would cut off your limbs for her. You would do anything to protect what you held in your hands. The scavengers always fought for loot and anything to secure life for another day. Ayren was strong and cunning woman but don't everyone have the softer side they hide from the coldness of the world and reveal it only to those most trusted?  
She locks her teary eyes with yours and your heart sinks. She was so adorable it was painful... and how much there was that could hurt her...?  
"In this life as a scavenger I barely knew any more than you ever did. The nights we gazed at the stars and talked of our most private  
and painful memories, I never even knew something so calming and comfortable existed. I too am afraid but not because of myself.  
Please, Ayren, keep living for me if not for yourself."  
She hugs you tight and she almost squeezes the life out of you.  
You hear the door open and Lenicrast looks at you two with confusion. Ayren wipes her eyes and she takes a step away from you unwillingly.  
Lenicrast clears his voice trying to ignore what he just saw.  
"I thought you ran out of ammunition and I guessed delivering some more would be in order", he explains embarrassed.  
"Thank you", you reply maintaining your perfect, unfaltered mug.  
"I'd like something bigger", Ayren replies.  
"I'm not sure..."  
"She is also a scavenger", you point out and Lenicrast looks at you lifting a brow.  
"Well... in that case. Just sit tight. We got plenty in the armory."

Ayren punches holes in a cardboard with a wide grin as she repeatedly pulls the trigger of an old rk-62. She hits a few in the center but your aim is far ahead of hers, since you pretty much had learned to shoot in a real fight. You also used a gun that utilized scattering ammunition but in the close quarters there was no better alternative. Ayren tears up the cardboard and switches the old finnish assault rifle on something more handy.  
"Nice!" she compliments herself when you crank the target away from the booth. If it was an enemy, it certainly would talk no more.  
Another target and Ayren pulls the trigger of a revolver. You weren't sure but it looked like one of those 357's. The barrel bounces upwards and you see her laughing as she looks at you, stunned at the sense of power she held in her hands. She takes another aim after flashing a smile at you. The gun roars and Ayren recoils due the power of the gun. After emptying the gun at the target she removes her hearingprotection. No one else was present so doing so wasn't much of a risk but losing one's hearing happened instantly.  
She leans on you laughing.  
"Oh, wow! I've never had this much fun!" she shouts while caressing you. She bends her neck backwards with open, laughing mouth and you can see her intimidating teeth flashing. She closes her mouth and presses her head against your neck.  
"Thank you, Anon. Thank you so much", she whispers into your chest.  
"For what exactly?"  
"You just play dumb or have you ever been shot into that handsome head of yours?"  
"Coudn't remember if I were."  
She laughs again and lets go of you so she could see you better.  
"I mean it. The things I said earlier, it all has made my life worth living."  
The lights go out. They flicker and fade.  
"The hell...?" Ayren spats.  
The lights burst back alive and you can see her again.  
"I heard some guys talking about generators acting up", Ayren admits.  
You immediatelly wake up to the present and realize why your new friends wanted so eagerly you to stay.

5.  
-Scavenging hazard.

After a romantic time at the range you two go to Ayren's room. You lie on the mattress with only the undergarments on because you wanted to feel eachother. Ayren's body despite the fur is so lean and well shaped as a catwoman should. You just can't get enough of watching and feeling her. You feel the shapes on her back shifting and every muscle tensing as she moves closer to you. Her fur against your skin is something unbelievable. It's almost paralyzing. Her scent and everything hits you all at once as her claws pinch on your back.  
"I wish I could just stay here for all eternity", Ayren admits. You feel her breasts against your chest and the warmth emanating from her in increasing. She begins to draw a circle on your chest, clearly thinking something as he breathing deepens.  
"You think... you think we...?" she whispers but finishes her sentence with biting her lower lip.  
"What?"  
"Nothing... nothing."  
"Are you ready?" you inquire. It was a big step afterall.  
"Hmm, you... you asking if we could... you know?"  
"I merely replied to your question, my dear. I'm up for it if you are."  
She gasps and covers her mouth. She was still very insecure about the whole thing. Having social interaction in general was visibly new to her, she had friends in the past perhaps but intimacy was all new to her. It's not that you had much experience with it either, not with someone you actually cared for that is.  
"I didn't even think you would be okay with it."  
"Why wouldn't I? You're pretty and I love you greatly."  
"But it's pretty soon and... I'm an... anthro", she admits almost with shame.  
Gently you flip her over and get on top of her. You can feel her body moving against yours as she breathes deep.  
"I love you, Ayren. If I'm going to do this with someone I'd rather do it with you. I'm ready if you are."  
Her eyes light up but still you can feel her body getting tense from the mere thought of intimacy. It's not that you weren't scared either, you loved her and of course doing that the first time with someone always made both very defenceless. Usually you slept with the clothes on and your guns close, getting naked and forgetting the dangers for a moment of love and intimacy was still new, that roused also a strong feeling of danger. In a way it made it only more exciting and you could feel Ayren's body warming up as yours did the same. You could feel your manhood waking up in your pants and hope Ayren't didn't pay too much attention to it. You forget your sense of modesty as she grabs your head with both hands and pulls your face against her's. You feel the short fur of her lips against your own as the mere taste of her overcomes you in an enormous, almost paralyzing wave. You slide your hands behind her and begin to undo her bra as she is begins to pull down your boxers. She ceases her intentions reluctantly as she offers her help at getting rid of the bra. Soon you can see her two beautiful breasts. You raise yourself on your knees and gaze upon her gorgeous body. Her breasts weren't very big due the harsh life out there in the wasteland but all notable features about her were the image of good health and fitness. It had been a while since you had seen something beautiful in the first place and Ayren was definately the most beutiful thing you manage to recall. She was so pure and perfect it was almost impossible to believe you weren't hallucinating.  
Your immaculate warrior woman was giving herself to you: the most feared predator of the wastelands.  
"What?" Ayren asks as she sees your frozen expression above her.  
"You're just so pretty", you whisper. Was that really happening? You would lie with Ayren and make love?  
"I see someone agrees", she points out with a giggle. You just now notice your member was bulging and ready.  
"Sorry, I hope this doesn't seem weird..."  
She interrupts you by crabbing you by the wrists and pressing your hands on her smooth belly. From there she directs you towards her panties which covered her wide and feminine waist. Her shapes were unbelievable, even better than most humans did according to your exprerience. She lets go and you begin to pull down her undergarments.  
*Knock* *knock* thunders all of a sudden at the door with such force you half expected someone having the motivation to burst though the damn thing and kill you both.  
"Shit!" Ayren spats as you did the same ceasing your business and eyed for your guns. Ayren quickly covers you both with a blanket and gives you a startled look.  
"Ayren, you there?" Abe shouts.  
"I will fucking murder him", you grunt but make sure only Ayren heard it.  
You both breath a sigh of relief and a vast disappointment. You were half ready to kill the bastard for ruining the beatiful moment you two just had. How quickly it was over, it was almost unreal. The flame that was so hot and bright was extinguished in an instant.  
"Yeah, what is it", Ayren tries to keep her voice calm.  
"Can't find Anon anywhere and I'm tired of looking for him. The boss wants to talk with us so if you got any idea where he might be, tell him to get to the command asap. I'll wait for you both there."  
"I will tell him when I find him. See you soon."  
"Make it quick, this sounds pretty important and we're still just a bunch of outcasts here."  
After that Abe was gone. There you both lie on the mattress next to each other and stare at the ceiling. Unbelievable, just unbelievable.  
"You sill on the mood?" Ayren asks supporting her head with her arms behind her neck.  
"Nope", you reply. If it took too long people would become suspicious and there was no way you would have that moment in peace. Not that such a sudden intrusion made it any better anyway.  
"Me neither", Ayren admits.  
"We got time to do it some other time", you promise.  
"We got pretty close this time and this was our first. Next time we'll succeed."  
"You're cute", you admit and kiss her. Then you gear up and leave the room with her without a care if someone saw you together with Ayren.

You feel the weight of your sawn-off on your hip and get the growing feeling that you will need it soon. Call it a sixth sense if you will but something was off. Humans were known for their intuition and as a scavenger that had never failed you. Trust your instinct, that was the scavenger's most important teaching.  
You arrive at the command center together and Abe is munching on a cracker as he spots you.  
"How are you doing that? I looked for his sorry ass over an hour and you find him in fifteen minutes!" he grumbles as the crumbs fly out of his mouth in tantrum of his words. Abe was stocking on carbonhydrates so apparently something was up. Carbs were usually your choice when you had to flee in short notice. Choosing a proper diet just to support constant running alone in the wastes was tricky.  
"You just have to know where to look", Ayren smirks but realizes too late she had just spilled the works. Gladly only Abe seemed to notice as he ceases his munching and looks at you both with blank stare. Scavenger knew how to read people better than the average joe.  
"Alright", Daniels begins. "For starters I'd like to thank you for staying with us but as it appears, this cannot wait any longer. We need our runners", Daniels admits.  
You wait in silence as Daniels goes to the table and picks up something. He flings it to Abe who takes a look at the small object.  
"A sparkplug?"  
"We rely on generators to run this place's power and surveillance system. Without our generators we can't grow our food nor we can purify water. In thort: without the new ones we're screwed."  
You can recall the lights acting up lately and it all indicated the issue was severe. Without power you would go back to the stone age.  
"Have you tried tapping in the mainline", you ask since for some reason you ponder the possibility those fools may not even know about them. Some of the subterranean powercables were still active and could provide electricity for years. Your previous camp survived with just that and it never caused any trouble, not until you were attacked.  
"The one we relied on for four years dried up and the generators have been in use ever since. We've been trying to find other means but so far no luck. We are in desperate need of new plugs."  
"I think we get it", you confess. "Any leads, directions where they might be?"  
Daniel rolls open a map. It was an old paper of the immediate area of the ruined city. The name had faded away but every ruin looked the same. He scans the map for a while and finally points at it somewhere in the middle.  
"There. It's an old hardware store with all kinds of parts inside, or at least used to be. The raiders moved to the area couple of months ago and we've been laying low ever since to avoid attention. It's roughly 20 kilometers away but the terrain is difficult as hell."  
Daniels leans over the table and looks at his trusted runners which you apparently were now. He looks at his only hope to keep the place running and yet still you both can spot the unease on Daniel's face.  
"My men haven't gone any way near the place recently but we know you will face dire resistance. Whatever means you use to get those plugs, it will have my blessing. There is a reason why we haven't fixed this problem yet. I sent six men weeks ago, anthros and humans but only two of them barely made it back. If you find any of them alive..."  
"We won't!" Abe spits. The others began to give dirty looks and get defensive at such gesture that was so easily interpreted as an insult.  
"He is right!" you interrupt before the bitter thoughts have time to settle in. That bunch of wannabe heroes and sheep didn't know anything about the harsh reality. "A week is considered the maximum one stays alive if ever captured. I'm sorry for your brothers but that's the way it just is. We won't find them alive and even if we did, search and resque would take our resources from the main objective."  
"Understood", Daniels informs and you can see the little hope he had for a successfull search and resque mission fading. "The plugs are your main priority but any info on their numbers, possible survivors and how they are equipped is also important. And by any means, do not let them follow your tracks back here. Do you understand?"  
"You are talking to professionals here, boss", Abe says.  
"I know I am. You may leave when you wan't but please hurry. Don't forget to pick up the radios before you leave."  
"Me and Abe will leave immediatelly. The sooner we get back we can concentrate on other problems."  
"Did you forget about me? I'm a scavenger too!" Ayren erupts. She was well aware of the limits of anthros when it came to full pledged scavengers but they could still reach pretty impressive level of fitness. Scavengers just were the best and it required the human level distance runner.  
"You are inexperienced and we are having a difficult operation this time. We are expecting a lot of eyes on us and should we be exposed there is a chance we won't come back", you explain and realize too late you had expressed yourself rather poorly. Ayren hisses and leaves without a word.  
"Smooth", Abe admits and stuffs his mouth with another cracker with an annoying smile you wanted to ram down his throat. You follow Ayren and soon you find her from a maintenance hall where no one was to be seen. She wasn't crying or anything but she was tence and mad as hell. You really couldn't blame her.  
"Ayren."  
"Please, leave me alone. Just go."  
"And if something happens this will remain our last conversation we had together. We have made our peace with death but losing someone is still what we are afraid of."  
Ayren turns to you and frowns. She was conflicted. She was not angry at you but at something else.  
"This is the first time when we split up. Ever since I met you and the others we've been together. For the first time I may lose one of you and I'm nowhere around when that happens!"  
"You honestly wan't to see how...?!" you shout but close your mouth with a grunt before rousing another reason for regret.  
"Just say it", Ayren pleads calmly. "Get it off your chest."  
"How someone you care about is being rent beyond recognition. Jack gave his life for me and I will never stop feeling guilty about it. I may be selfish but you have seen so little. I wan't you to live for another day so you may become what you want to be. Becoming a scavenger isn't something that happens overnight, it's a lifestyle change that takes time to master. In my dreams one day we will soar the lands together."  
Ayren stares at the floor and scratches her shoulder.  
"I've got to admit when you climbed on that highway with Jack I never imagined such a thing would happen. To me you were like those heroes in the movies, they just kill the bad guys and move on. Only when I heard you talking about Jack through the radio I realized how demanding and cruel this world can be. Not ever the most feared warrior cult of the wastelands is bulletproof."  
Ayren takes a step forward and embraces you in a tight hug. You squeeze her with all your strenght till Ayren presses her muzzle against your lips. After a long and passionate kiss you break the connection with your mouths.  
"Just make sure to come back. Don't you dare leave me thinking how our evening could have ended."  
"You're unbelievable", you laugh with her.  
"You should go, my warrior. You have a settlement to save."

The terrain was just as shitty as you were told. The streets had collapsed revealing parts of the sewer system and leaving them open. This worked for your benefit however since you knew upon departure you'd have to rely on stealth. Scavengers never encountered large groups head on without dire need. There were some visible signs of camps and traveling groups but no one was on sight yet at least. You had arrived to the immediate proximity of the downtown within hours and it was getting dark. You exploited every nook and cranny making sure no one could set up an ambush. It was of course about thinning out the likelihood of getting caught but it had worked so far, as it had worked for years. Abe lifts the binoculars up and measures the surroundings. There were several tall buildings around you but neither of them seemed likely place for a possible ambush. It would require industrial grade optics and rifles.  
"I don't see anyone", Abe points out in the fading light. That was the perfect opportunity to rest but you would do it when you knew better where the enemy was and where was the damn store with the vital parts. Such trouble for a couple of plugs. Like the cars didn't have them but where the hell were the cars then? One could only wonder.  
"Lets find out that store and see how well populated it is. After that we wait the raiders fall asleep and we sneak in. We'd do well to use that time for resting as well."  
"I believe we're not far. If Daniels was right and the place was occupied, those glimmers and the smell of burning tyres comes from the said store", Abe ponders.  
"Why did I ever think this would be easy?"  
"You've grown soft. Falling in love does that", Abe says and bursts from his cover to traverse the short distance to the next, that was under a partially collapsed bridge. Of course he would know about you and Ayren. You'd have to ponder his opinion on the matter later. It's not that you were worried even while Abe was your friend. You sneak silently like ghosts among the rubble as you approach the collapsed building from below. The sewer had dilapidated opening a way in. You didn't bother to look for anything of use since this close to the occupied settlement the likelihood for anything worthwhile was very low. You join Abe to the middle floor of the old building and peek out from the window, which miraculously had intact windows. You both look out carefully and see an old scrapyard looking settlement. The raiders indeed burned tyres in steel barrels and you also learned what had happened to the carwrecks. They had been stacked up as walls for the raider settlement. That also meant they had cranes or some other heavy machinery to build those stacks of junk around the settlement.  
"Just fucking terrific", Abe grunts. "How the hell are we going to infiltrate the place with so many eyes around us?"  
You didn't really know either. You saw dozens of men with dulled blades, torn up makeshift clothing, bows or pneumatic weapons and a few pieces which looked like firearms.  
"Not in a daylight that's for sure. This is going to be tricky."

Meanwhile at the base Daniels listens to radio chatter around him. The other units patrolling the perimeter talked with other squads, sometimes they exchaned status updates, sometimes jokes and sometimes just plain shouted at each other. Daniels had said many times about the latter but of course they wouldn't listen. It was usually other anthros starting some verbal bout about something stupid like women or manly benefits of being an anthro. Daniels cursed at his luck of being too low on men to have some of them executed.  
"Come in, this is the scavenger team", echoed from the main channel in Abe's voice and Daniels told the assistants to silence everything else. He also noticed Ayren to tense up as the connection to the team popped up.  
"This is the base speaking, we hear you", Daniels started.  
"The store is occupied and heavily fortified. We'll have to wait till nightfall to make approach. There's about hunred raiders give or take."  
"Understood. Keep us informed and from no on we won't contact you unless you won't contact us instead."  
"Good idea. We are already in danger of exposure. Scavenger team over and out."  
Ayren crossed her arms across her chest and glenched her teeth. She felt something was going to go wrong soon. Call in a human intuition even if she was an anthro, se just knew something would happen.  
Damn you, Anon", she hissed.

"The only way in seems to be through the wrecks. The corrugated iron isn't all too shick near the wall of this apartment house", you concluded.  
"These rooms and apartments are sealed but they're raiders; they lack discipline if something and that rule has never failed. I would try to squeeze myself through the building instead of the barricade. They have those makeshift braziers at every ten meters along the barricade. There's no dark spot to sneak through and we need to use the shadows when the night falls. Should we get caught while inside, it's fight to the death", Abe explains and he was pretty much right about that. Getting caught would alert the whole compound at once and there was no way to take on them all by just the two of you.  
"Let's wait for the night", Abe suggests and sits down in the corner hugging his rifle. You follow suit and sit down on the opposite of him.  
"How did you know?" you inquire.  
"It's pretty fucking obvious. You remember when White told us about non-verbal interaction and humans can produce about 70.000 non verbal signals you pick up subconciously?"  
"I suppose I do. Reading other people comes with the occupation, I guess."  
"And you kissed each other under a surveillance camera", Abe added.  
"What?!" you shout and your hearth skips a beat or two.  
"I covered the screen with my fat arse so no one else saw you. You should pay more attention to your surroundings. In any other occasion shit like that could cost you dearly."  
Abe was right. In an hostile environment it could have lead into something much more worse than everyone knowing you were together with a non-human girl. Even if everyone at the base knew then so what?  
"So what's it like?"  
"Like how?"  
"No details needed but in general?"  
"She's a woman. What else there is?"  
"You bullshitting me or what? Just a woman?"  
You grunt and correct your position since the hard floor made your ass numb.  
"We aren't THAT far in when it comes to a relationship."  
As you go through the past scene in your mind Abe reads a series of signals your body is giving out. He narrows his eyes and his mouth hangs open.  
"When I told Ayren to go find you... no!"  
You reply him with a murdering stare.  
"I seriously didn't interrupt you two when I banged at her door?"  
"I'm still considering whether to shoot you or not."  
Abe couldn't stop himself from laughing. As Abe is roaring with laughter you take your sawn-off and press the barrels on your chin, making Abe to gasp for air. As your friend regains his self-control he sneezes and wipes his wet eyes.  
"That's pretty bold, Anon. What if you next time learn that she's not... the way you expected?"  
"White told me to not to worry. I take his word for it but to be honest, I'm glad you showed up. Maybe it really was too early, it's a big step."  
"You've been close to each other for weeks, Anon. Hell, it's pretty visible you care for each other. I'm glad for you really. I know you and Jack were more of a team than you even realize. He was our brother in arms and he saved your life by giving his. It's always different when you share the last moments of a comrade than see it from afar."  
"I honestly don't know where I'd be without her. I can't stop thinking about it. The smell... oh shit."  
Abe shakes his head thinking the scene when he arrived after it had happened.  
"You're tough, did you know that? Living with something like that at the back of your mind is hard. Sure as hell I wouldn't have survived it alone", Abe confesses.  
"We all have our ways to survive", you finish.  
"Lets use the opportunity to have some rest. The sooner this is over we can get back to the base."  
"Let's do that."

As the night descended covering the ugly world with it's darkness, the two hunters woke up and began their prowl. The moon could not be seen as the pollution hung low above the city like a rotting layer of skin. The raiders decreased in numbers outside the compound and the lowly ranked pledges were shoved to take watch as the real men and cutthroats wen't inside to sleep.  
"That's weird. I don't see too many assholes taking watch", Abe points out.  
"They're raiders. They don't really give a shit about anything. No discipline, no honor, no nothing."  
"You're right, Anon. Still don't count on that, they're still a menace and dangerous lot."  
Such a risky mission for sparkplugs. You miss Ayren's touch and soothing voice. For once you had a solid center in that shitty world and made you feel like you belonged somewhere. You loved a woman and she was so far away. The only good thing was the fact she was away from any likely or potential harm. When you get back to the base you would kiss her and finish what Abe so rudely had interrupted. After that you would fall asleep on each others arms and sleep as long as you wanted. Maybe repeat it a couple of times even. You feel your heart skipping a beat when you think about her.


End file.
